In 2002, Daniel Scot and Danny Naliah started a 5½ year battle to be allowed to peacefully tell the truth about Islam. Eventually they succeeded and were vindicated that they had not promoted hatred, contempt or ridicule of Islam or Muslims. Yesterday's action by the UN (see the news article below) means that it is more likely that such cases are going to increase.
Spare a thought for the Christians who already daily face death just for praying and worshipping in their own homes and the millions who are constantly under threat because they live in Islamic lands as Christians. Pray for them that the Lord may equip and strengthen them. Shari'a law is coming to our shores whether you like it or not.
It is not a battle of moderate Islam and fundamental Islam. Islam brooks no dissent and barely permits discussion.
It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. Sura 33:36
| UN Passes Islamic ‘Defamation’ Measure, But Critics Hail ‘Backlash’ Thursday, December 18, 2008 By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is spearheading the “defamation of religion” campaign at the U.N. (CNSNews.com) – A “defamation” of religion resolution stating that “Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism” passed in the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday – but with fewer votes than in previous years.. Over the past year opponents ranging to media watchdogs and free speech advocates to Christian and humanist groups have stepped up lobbying against the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)-driven campaign. Thursday’s vote passed by a margin of 86-53, with 42 countries abstaining. The result showed a significant erosion of support since a similar resolution passed in the General Assembly last December by a vote of 108-51, with 25 abstentions. For the first time, the number of countries supporting the resolution fell behind the number of those voting against or abstaining. “Although it is disappointing that religious freedom takes another step backwards today, we are extremely encouraged that the majority of countries in the world did not vote in favor of banning peaceful religious speech,” said Angela C. Wu, the international law director at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Washington-based public interest law firm viewed the shift in support for the resolution among U.N. member states as “a significant backlash.” The Becket Fund earlier made a submission to the world body arguing that any attempt to treat religious discrimination in the same way as racial discrimination could result in “the suppression of peaceful, but controversial, discussions of truth claims about and within religions.” The Becket Fund, and other critics of the OIC push, note that in some of the Islamic countries leading the campaign – notably Pakistan, Egypt and Iran – blasphemy laws target those who challenge the religious viewpoints approved by the state. Some also outlaw conversions from Islam to other faiths. To these critics, outlawing “religious defamation” at the U.N. would not only legitimize those regimes’ behavior but could lead eventually to similar restrictions on free expression in non-Islamic countries as well. “The ‘defamation of religions’ resolution is a direct violation of the United Nation’s mandate to protect religious freedom, as peaceful religious speech – a manifestation of belief – will be silenced as a result of it,” Wu said. “We are deeply disappointed that the U.N. has given cover to oppressive governments to persecute dissenters. Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, Christians in Orissa, India, and Bahais in Iran have one more reason to fear for their lives as the U.N. lends legitimacy to the criminalization of their peaceful speech. States have no place determining what is and is not blasphemy,” she added. “Defenders of free speech take some consolation in the increased votes for our cause,” Hillel Neuer, executive director of the human rights watchdog UN Watch, said Thursday. “But the adoption of yet another totalitarian text is a stark reminder that human rights at the U.N. is under assault.” He also noted that Islamic states were using a major U.N. conference on racism, scheduled for next spring, to advance their campaign. Proponents are arguing that the “defamation” of Islam and “Islamophobia” are contemporary forms of racism, and should thus fall under purview of the racism conference, commonly known as Durban II. Read more |
