Right on, Bro!
Posted on 03/14/2008 7:39:52 PM PDT by PROCON
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots. Concerned about what they see as a rise in the defamation of Islam, leaders of the world's Muslim nations are considering taking legal action against those that slight their religion or its sacred symbols. It was a key issue during a two-day summit that ended Friday in this western Africa capital.
The Muslim leaders are attempting to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in 2006 and again last month, to the fury of the Muslim world.
Though the legal measures being considered have not been spelled out, the idea pits many Muslims against principles of freedom of speech enshrined in the constitutions of numerous Western governments.
"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."
Delegates were given a voluminous report by the OIC that recorded anti-Islamic speech and actions from around the world. The report concludes that Islam is under attack and that a defense must be mounted.
"Muslims are being targeted by a campaign of defamation, denigration, stereotyping, intolerance and discrimination," charged Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the group.
The report urges the creation of a "legal instrument" to crack down on defamation of Islam. Some delegates point to laws in Europe criminalizing the denial of the Holocaust and other anti-Semitic rhetoric. They also point to articles within various U.N. charters that condemn discrimination based on religion and argue that these should be ramped up.
"In our relation with the western world, we are going through a difficult time," Ihsanoglu told the summit's general assembly. "Islamophobia cannot be dealt with only through cultural activities but (through) a robust political engagement."
The International Humanist and Ethical Union in Geneva released a statement accusing the Islamic states of attempting to limit freedom of expression and of attempting to misuse the U.N.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement that objectionable depictions of the Prophet Muhammad do not "give them the right under international human rights law to insist that others abide by their views."
Hemayet Uddin, the lead author of the OIC report and head of cultural affairs for the group said legal action is needed because "this Islamophobia that we see in the world has gone far beyond a phobia. It is now at the level of hatred, of xenophobia, and we need to act."
A new charter drafted by the OIC commits the Muslim body "to protect and defend the true image of Islam" and "to combat the defamation of Islam."
To protect the faith, Muslim nations have created an "observatory" that meets regularly to monitor Islamophobia. It examines lectures and workshops taking place around the world and prints a monthly record of offensive content.
But some of the summit's delegates said a legal approach would be over the top.
"My general view would be that the confrontational approach is one my country would avoid," said Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Iftekhar Chowdhruy. Bangladesh is 90 percent Muslim.
While the Muslim world worries about the image of Islam in the West, the U.S. envoy to the OIC attended the summit to try to tackle the thorny question of America's image among Muslim states.
Sada Cumber calls his campaign the "soft power" of the U.S.—an effort to find common ground with Muslim nations by championing universal values the U.S. holds dear like religious tolerance and freedom of speech.
"America has a deep respect for the religion of Islam," Cumber told The Associated Press. "The freedom of faith that we exercise, that we enjoy in America, that is also a very important aspect of the American core values. Anyone who wants to practice any faith is never stopped or discouraged."
Also during the summit, Chad and Sudan signed a peace agreement to stop incursions of rebels across each other's borders, and the summit delegates committed themselves to addressing the spiraling violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Good grief!
False
It is a continued revealing and “rise” in the hatred BY (brought to you by) Islam.
It is characteristic of all purveyors of “hate” and corruption that they go about to win compliance or acceptance via the practices of intimidation and fear. It is because they know they have nothing inherent within their issue or religion that would win anyone based on the merits or substance of what they promote.
The depravity of their religion is reveled and punctuated by the methods they implement to go about to defend it. Islam earns to it its own disdain and humiliation becks it is false, error, and laced with contradiction.
Truth needs no “defense”. It stands on its own and is its own defense.
Those who have and understand a true and sound religious (or other) concept, would never be offended by foolish ridicule. Automatically the laugh at the foolishness and ignorance of the detractor. And that's where it ends with them.
Islam is quite pathetic in its recognition of its own deities’ weakness and inability to defend or prove “itself”. They feel they have to take it upon themselves to avenge unbelief. And in so doing, they even contradict (or make it up as they go along) their own written standard upon which supposedly their religion is based.
“I don’t think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy,” said Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. “There can be no freedom without limits.”
Hey, dude, blasphemy is strictly a religious concept, or a sin against the dictates of a particular religion.
The West does not recognize sins as something that should be punished by governments. What this really means is that you Muslims should all have stayed in the nations where you are in the majority and in charge. You don’t belong in the West and the President of Senegal has zero say in what is or is not allowed in the West.
At least, that’s how it will be as long as we have enough citizens with some degree of intelligence and courage.
Right on, Bro!
This clown must be confusing Americans with the Dutch or other european country that has kow towed to these lunatics.
> The report urges the creation of a “legal instrument” to crack down on defamation of Islam.
A short course in Defamation 101 should prove instructive to these Mad Mullahs:
“It is a complete defence to an action for defamation to prove that the defamatory statement is substantially true. It is not necessary for a defendant to show that there was a public interest in publication and it does not matter whether he or she acted maliciously.”
And:
“If a defendant can prove that the defamatory statement is an expression of opinion on a matter of public interest and not a statement of fact, he or she can rely on the defence of fair comment.”
On this basis I do not favor their chances in court. Unless of course it be a Shariah Court...
Yeah, chopping hands, fingers or heads off people is the true image of islam.
and "to combat the defamation of Islam."
One finger extended on both hands to combat defamation.
Islam is a death cult, so it should not gain any protections over free speech.
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