The Organization of the Islamic Conference has sponsored a draft resolution at the United Nations that would condemn the “defamation of religion” and create a global “anti-blasphemy law,” reports Catholic News Agency. The draft resolution was presented by Pakistan in the name of the Islamic conference, which holds a majority of the seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council, according to the Spanish daily ABC. The Muslim organization hopes to secure passage of the resolution by the U.N. General Assembly. However, the resolution has been met with widespread rejection, especially for its condemnation of the criticism of radical Islam by the media. The United States and European countries have warned that a resolution of this kind constitutes an attack on freedom of expression and could lead to greater persecution of religious minorities. Experts say “defamation” can only be liable to legal sanction when it involves persons and not concepts or feelings. According to the Spanish daily, many Muslim states have a legal system based on Sharia (Islamic law) and have established anti-blasphemy laws that in practice only condemn insults against the prophet Muhammad but not against other religions.
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