Friday, November 05, 2010

Combating Defamation of Religions

The current incarnation of the resolution demanding international imposition of Islam's blasphemy laws is A/C.3/65/L.46. Combating defamation of religions,
dated October 28 '10.  Like its predecessors, the draft resolution begins with references to previous resolutions and related documents, then it gets down to the serious business of reaffirming, welcoming,  underlining and expressing serious concern.   Lets  examine selected  lumps from the septic tank.

Stressing that defamation of religions is a serious affront to human dignity leading to the illicit restriction of the freedom of religion of their adherents and incitement to religious hatred and violence, Stressing also the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions, and incitement to religious hatred in general, Reaffirming that discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief constitutes a violation of human rights and a disavowal of the principles of the Charter,


Defamation usually applies to individuals, see the first terms in a definition search.

  • a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
  • aspersion: an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
    wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Perhaps we can find some relevant detail.

Expresses deep concern, in this respect, that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism;

 

[...] which clearly confirms, inter alia, that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, [...]


Almost everyone more than twelve years old should recall immediately what they are kvetching about: the Motoons & Fitna.  The Motoons depict Moe as a terrorist. Is that defamatory?  He died in 632, prior to the invention of gunpowder, so he never had a bomb in his turban.  But he was a self-confessed terrorist.

  • Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.  [Sahih Bukhari 1.7.331]
  • I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy) [Sahih Bukhari 4.52.220]

The Motoons contained exaggeration, but they also contained the element of truth necessary to effective humor. They did not calumniate or defame Moe.

    Fitna juxtaposed the Qur'an with scenes  of Imams inciting the believers to jihad, followed by scenes of slaughter. Fitna connects the dots, demonstrating cause and effect.  It is true, and therefore not defamatory.  

    In the matter of terrorism: Moe claimed victory through terror. Allah said that he would cast terror, commanded the Muslims to strike off necks and fingers, then  reported that he cast terror and its consequences.[Emphasis added for clarity.]

  • 3:151. We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allâh, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire and how evil is the abode of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong­doers). 
  • 8:12. (Remember) when your Lord inspired the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes." 
  • 8:57. So if you gain the mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson
  • 8:60.  Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of God and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom God doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of God, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly. 
  • 33:26. And those of the people of the Scripture who backed them (the disbelievers) Allâh brought them down from their forts and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) a group (of them) you killed, and a group (of them) you made captives.

    33:27. And He caused you to inherit their lands, and their houses, and their riches, and a land which you had not trodden (before). And Allâh is Able to do all things. 

  • 59:2. He it is Who drove out the disbelievers among the people of the Scripture (i.e. the Jews of the tribe of Banî An-Nadîr) from their homes at the first gathering. You did not think that they would get out. And they thought that their fortresses would defend them from Allâh! But Allâh's (Torment) reached them from a place whereof they expected it not, and He cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers. Then take admonition, O you with eyes (to see). 
  • 59:13. Verily, you (believers in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism) are more awful as a fear in their (Jews of Banî An-Nadîr) breasts than Allâh. That is because they are a people who comprehend not (the Majesty and Power of Allâh). 

Terrorism is an intrinsic sacrament of Islam.  Pointing out that fact is not defamatory, it is truthful.  

Noting with concern that defamation of religions, and incitement to religious hatred in general, could lead to social disharmony and violations of human rights, and alarmed at the inaction of some States to combat this burgeoning trend and the resulting discriminatory practices against adherents of certain religions


They are alarmed that our government does not silence our criticism of Islam.  The First Amendment gives me a right to expose Islam's rotten core without fear of the federal government.

Underlining the important role of education in the promotion of tolerance, which involves acceptance by the public of, and its respect for, diversity, including with regard to religious expression, and underlining also the fact that education should contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief,


They demand that our schools be co-opted to indoctrinate our children with false praises of Islam so that they will tolerate the intolerable. 

Expresses deep concern at the negative stereotyping of religions and manifestations of intolerance and discrimination in matters of religion or belief still evident in the world;


That sentence is redundant, it simply restates the complaint about exposing the doctrines & practices of Islam.  It is the second item in a 28 item enumerated list. The third item follows suit, adding two new elements.

Strongly deplores all acts of psychological and physical violence and assaults, and incitement thereto, against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, and such acts directed against their businesses, properties, cultural centres and places of worship, as well as the targeting and desecration of holy books, holy sites and religious symbols and venerated personalities of all religions;


If you are so concerned about incitement to violence, why don't you ban the Qur'an, which contains imperatives to wage war on Christians? Are you unable to make the connection between 9:39 & 9:123 with attacks on churches in Egypt, Iraq,Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan & Indonesia? 

    Here are the novel elements:

  • desecration of holy books
  • venerated personalities

Of course, they are not kvetching about terrorists who occupied the Church of the Nativity, who practiced istinja  with pages torn from the Bible. [In the link, Daniel Pipes reveals the existence of a fatwa permitting the practice.] Neither are they kvetching about burning Bibles. The reference is specific to International Burn a Qur'an Day. 
   
    And the venerated personality is Moe, who really was a terrorist, not Jesus Christ, whose paternity, divinity, crucifixion, death & resurrection are denied by the Qur'an and who is co-opted by Islam as a genocidal warlord.   The Qur'ans torn and partially burned in New York and torn in Washington D.C. Sept. 11 were English translations, which are not considered sacred or authentic by Islam. 

Deplores the use of the print, audio-visual and electronic media, including the Internet, and any other means to incite acts of violence, xenophobia or related intolerance and discrimination against any religion, as well as the targeting and desecration of holy books, holy sites and religious symbols and venerated personalities of all religions;


Their definition of incitement is so loose that it encompasses every possible criticism of Islam. Recall what Secy. Gen. Ban Ki-moon said about Fitna.

Reuters quotes U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about Fitna:

“There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence,” Ban said in a statement. “The right of free expression is not at stake here.”

The hate speech in Fitna flows from the lips of Imams. The incitement flows from their lips and from the Qur'an.

Reaffirms that general recommendation XV (42) of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,14 in which the Committee stipulated that the prohibition of the dissemination of all ideas based upon racial superiority or hatred is compatible with freedom of opinion and expression, is equally applicable to the question of incitement to religious hatred;


I have a few examples for your consideration.

  • 98:6. Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islâm, the Qur'ân and Prophet Muhammad ()) from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikûn will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures.
  • 2:159. Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allâh and cursed by the cursers. 
  • Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 80:

    Narrated Abu Huraira:

    The Verse:--"You (true Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind." means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam.

 

 Reaffirms the obligation of all States to enact the legislation necessary to prohibit the advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and encourages States, in their follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination,Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to include aspects relating to national or ethnic, religious and  linguistic minorities in their national plans of action and in this context to take forms of multiple discrimination against minorities fully into account;


That is the same tired boiler plate demand for legislation criminalizing criticism of Islam. Bear in mind what Ban said about Fitna.  Islam contumaciously demands that it be shielded from all questioning and criticism.  Islam demands that it and it alone be allowed to hurl curses while being shielded from return fire.

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