...It would be a betrayal ...to apologize for what I wrote. Yes, if we speak out now, there will be turbulence and threats, and some people may get hurt. But if we fall silent – if we leave the basic human values of free speech, feminism and gay rights undefended in the face of violent religious mobs – then many, many more people will be hurt in the long term. Today, we have to use our right to criticise religion, or lose it...read what Johann Hari wrote in The Independent, here......and the riots, death threats, and the arrest of an editor who published the article above that followed...
...My column reported on a startling development at the United Nations. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has always had the job of investigating governments who forcibly take the fundamental human right to free speech from their citizens with violence. But in the past year, a coalition of religious fundamentalist states have successfully fought to change her job description. Now, she has to report on “abuses of free expression” including “defamation of religions and prophets.” Instead of defending free speech, she must now oppose it...more here...
Where is the public outcry over this ongoing suppression of free speech and its entrenchment by the UN?
In the 1980's as a member of Amnesty International I wrote dozens of letters to heads of state protesting about human rights infringements. We based our protests on the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights. In particular...
Article 18. "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief...
Article 19. "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression...
Today in response to Islamic threats and intimidation the UN is diluting its own 1948 raison d'etre, and to their shame Amnesty International is more concerned over the rights of Islamic fifth columnists than the people they oppress...
