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HENTOFF: A free speech killerUN warns: Don't defame religions, especially Islam
 Nat Hentoff Monday, February 2, 2009http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/02/a-free-speech-killer/  
OP-ED:
 On Inauguration Day, after it got the United Nations to pass a gag rule on insultingreligions, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) told our new president in aNew York Times ad that Muslims "have compelling strategic and moral reasons tocooperate and peacefully coexist with the United States in particular, and with the Westin general."Many Muslims here and elsewhere want that partnership; but some, jihadists in the nameof Islam, disagree violently. In its address to our new president, the Organization of theIslamic Conference (which has permanent status at the United Nations) made no mentionof its own strategic skills that resulted, on Dec. 18, in the passage by the U.N. GeneralAssembly of a nonbinding resolution (with strong advice to its members) that condemns"defamation of religion," especially Islam.In an 83 to 53 vote, with 42 abstentions, the U.N. General Assembly urged nations toprovide "adequate protections" in their laws or constitutions against "acts of hatred,discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions andincitement to religious hatred in general."Only Islam and Muslims are specifically named in this resolution against religiousdefamation, sponsored by Uganda on behalf of the 57-member Organization of theIslamic Conference, and cosponsored by Belarus and Venezuela.Opponents included the United States, a majority of European countries, Japan and India.Those in favor said they do not want to limit free speech but do intend to stop suchexpressions as the 2005 Danish cartoons disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad thatignited violent protests by Muslims around the world.Among the opponents, including myself, of this U.N. move to have its members legislate,with penalties, against such very broadly designated "religious defamation" is FloydAbrams, the nation's leading protector of the First Amendment in the Supreme Court andin his writings. In his Dec. 9 lecture on global communications, issues at the UnitedNations itself in New York, he cited a recent study by the European Center for Law andJustice finding "that laws based on the concept of 'defamation of religion' actually help tocreate a climate of violence.""Violators of these laws, as applied in most Muslim countries, are subject to the death
 
penalty," Abrams continued. He cited from the study a 22-year-old Hindu in Pakistanwho "was beaten to death by co-workers at a factory for allegedly committing the crimeof blasphemy, which is a crime punishable by death in the country." The three workerswere "charged not with murder but with 'failure to inform the police that blasphemy wasunder way.' "As Abrams has noted, the effect of the U.N. resolution "would be just as dangerous if thisdid not (originally) come from the Islamic states, but came from any other group of statesrepresenting or purporting to speak for any other religion."Another of America's leading First Amendment lawyers, Marc Stern, co-executivedirector of the American Jewish Congress, makes a crucial point: If this approach to"defamation of religion" were to become a crime under international law (under theimpetus of the U.N. resolution), "nations would be able to seek extradition and trialabroad of persons who make statements critical or offensive to one or all faiths anywherein the world."Already, for example, as Reuters reported last June, Jordan prosecutor Hassan Abdullatsubpoenaed "11 Danes for drawing and reprinting" cartoons that offend Islam. The Daneswere charged - in Jordan - with "threatening the national peace." Under Jordanian law,Reuters reported, "reproducing images of the Prophet Muhammad inside - or evenoutside - the country is illegal under the Jordanian Justice Act."One of the Danes summoned to Jordan was Kurt Westergaard, who, for years, has beensubject to death threats for his cartoon, among others, of the Prophet Muhammad wearinga turban in the shape of a bomb.When the riots and deaths following those Danish cartoons were reported in Americannewspapers, none of the offending cartoons was published accompanying the stories inmajor dailies, except the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Sun. But I ran the storyat the Village Voice, where I then had a column, with the cartoon of Prophet Muhammadwearing the bomb-shaped turban.I was damned if I'd be intimidated for doing my job as a reporter. For a couple of weeks,I was more vigilant than usual walking the streets, but I'm still here.What most stays in my mind is that long before the Dec. 18, 2008, resolution ondefamation of religions, so much of the American free press refused to run even one of the cartoons at the core of the story, and hardly anything about the U.N.'s Dec. 18resolution.Did they not want to offend certain readers? Were they afraid? If the U.N. resolutionbecame international law, the First Amendment would still protect opponents here, butthink of the bloody impact on "defamers" around the world.To be continued....
 
 
Airing Date Feb. 25, 2009United Nations Wants To Regulate Free Speech Of Every Nation
 Featured guest is Christopher Hitchens
 Do you believe the United Nations' restriction of freedom of speech in the United Statesshould be tolerated?
 http://loudobbs.tv.cnn.com/  Yes 2% 70No 98% 2796Total Votes: 2866
United Nations Wants To Regulate Free Speech Of Every Nation
 watch video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uadgk2kveRU 
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