ISLAMABAD: In a major move in recent times, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has scored an unprecedented victory when its initiatives to combat defamation of religions, particularly Islam, received broad support in the recently concluded Seventh Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), which was held in Geneva.

Pakistan’s representative in Geneva is the ministry’s senior diplomat Masood Khan who burnt the midnight oil to set the direction for world capitals where the mere excuse of “freedom of expression” would not be used to insult a person no matter which faith he belonged to. But in recent times it has been Islam, which has been particularly targeted.

It is shameful that the Western group in the Human Rights Council abstained on the resolution. According to the spokesman at the Foreign Office, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Pakistan on behalf of OIC entitled Combating Defamation of Religions which, inter alia, expressed grave concerns at the serious instances of deliberate stereotyping of religions, their adherents and sacred persons in the media and urged states to take actions to prohibit the dissemination, including through political institutions and organisations, of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement to racial and religious hatred, hostility or violence.

“Now there is an international instrument in place, where a country can be hauled up even when an ordinary person on the street violates this norm. For too long this excuse of freedom of expression has been used to defame Islam.

“Now the Rapporteur will in an annual report or when it is deemed necessary make an assessment of the situation and point out and address the violation. This is the first step and Pakistan will now try and move towards making this a convention. “There is no doubt that this is a great achievement,” is how one diplomat responded over the news.

In addition to the members of the OIC and African Group in the Human Rights Council, the resolution was supported by China, Cuba, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Russian Federation and Sri Lanka.

The Human Rights Council (HRC) also adopted an amendment to the resolution on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The amendment, which was sponsored by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, was meant to respond to recent instances in which Islam and Muslims have been ridiculed and associated with violence and terrorism.

It mandated the Special Rapporteur on promotion and protection of the right to report on instances where the abuse of the right of freedom of expression constitutes an act of racial or religious discrimination taking into account Articles 19(3) and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and General Comment of the committee on Racial Discrimination on Article 4 of the Convention on the elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

While introducing the amendment, Pakistan underlined the importance of responsible exercise of freedom of expression. Referring to reprinting of blasphemous caricatures and screening of hate documentaries, Pakistan urged States to take all necessary measures to ensure balance between freedom of expression and freedom of religion.
Source: The News
Date:4/4/2008