The 3rd Committee, which is
part of UN General Assembly, have approved a resolution to protect
religion from critisism. In some few weeks this proposal will be up with
the rest of the General assembly, and it is expected to receive the same
voting: 81 for, 55 against, and 43 countries abstaining from voting.
The Assembly would also note with deep concern “the intensification of
the overall campaign of the defamation of religions and incitement to
religious hatred”, including the ethnic and religious profiling of
Muslim minorities in the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September
2001. It would further recognize that, in the context of the fight
against terrorism, defamation of religions and incitement to religious
hatred had become aggravating factors that contributed to the denial of
fundamental rights and freedoms of members of target groups, as well as
their economic and social exclusion, says the resolution which was
initiated by Syria, White Russia, and Venezuela.
