Elizabeth Kendal of World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission writes in AssistNews, with thanks to LH.
AUSTRALIA — In an astonishing move on 12 April 2005, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) moved from promoting respect for human rights (the rights of humans) to promoting “respect for all religions and their value systems”.
On Tuesday 12 April 2005, the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), meeting for its 61st session in Geneva, Switzerland, passed Human Rights Resolution 2005/3 entitled, “Combating Defamation of Religions”. The text can be found at:
http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/E/CHR/resolutions/E-CN_4-RES-2005-3.docIslam On Line (IOL) reported it this way: “The United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted on Tuesday, April 12, a resolution calling for combating defamation campaigns against Islam and Muslims in the West.”
IOL quotes Cuba’s delegate, Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez, who claimed that Islam has been the subject of a “very deep campaign of defamation”. According to IOL, it is this defamation that breeds disharmony, hatred and discrimination.
Ehtasham Khan reports from Geneva for Rediff.com (India), “The resolution was pushed forward by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). It was put under Agenda Item 6 that deals with racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination.”
It took a month of diplomatic lobbying, but the OIC nations managed to gain majority support and the resolution, which failed last year, was passed this year with 31 countries for, 16 against, five abstentions and one delegation absent.
Khan reports that the United States, United Kingdom and Israel were amongst those nations that voted against the resolution on the grounds that it was unbalanced and biased. Russia and China voted in favour while India was among those who abstained.
UNCHR Resolution 2005/3 is flawed and dangerous. It completely fails to address the issue of human rights violations that are legitimised by discriminatory and barbaric religious mandates. Thus it protects the religious mandate above humans’ rights…
Read it all.