Against free speech, but for it
Of course, he is exercised about “attempts to equate Islam with terrorism” by non-Muslims, who make this equation simply by reporting accurately on the terrorists’ own stated justifications for their actions. He is not talking about the terrorists’ own “attempts to equate Islam with terrorism.” Those don’t bother him.
“Don’t link Islam to terror, Islamic chief urges,” by Robert Evans for Reuters, December 19 (thanks to all who sent this in):
GENEVA (Reuters) – The world’s top diplomat for Islam called on Friday for an end to what he termed efforts to equate the religion with terrorism and said the ‘demonization’ of Muslims around the world must be fought.
But speaking soon after the U.N. General Assembly passed an Islamic-sponsored resolution condemning “defamation of religion” for the fourth year in a row, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said his group was committed to respecting freedom of expression.
Ihsanoglu probably knows that he can’t have it both ways, but is hoping the West doesn’t figure that out in time to stop his anti-free speech initiatives.
There was a “rising tide of incitement to religious hatred and discrimination and intolerance targeting Muslims,” he told a meeting called by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) at the United Nations in Geneva. The 57-nation OIC, based in Saudi Arabia, represents 1.5 billion Muslims.
“Attempts to equate Islam with terrorism should be stopped. Stereotyping and demonization of Muslims should be combated,” said Ihsanoglu, a Turkish history professor who became OIC Secretary-General in 2005.
In a statement on Ihsanoglu’s remarks, Geneva spokesman for the International Humanist and Ethical Union Roy Brown argued that Islam was often linked to terror because perpetrators of many terrorist acts identify themselves as Muslims.
See a fuller statement from Roy Brown in this Jihad Watch exclusive.