A resolution on the need for laws that hold individuals accountable for blasphemy, especially for desecrating the Qur’an, has been adopted by the UN Human Rights Council [1].
The move has been described as a blow to international free speech norms by a leading religious freedom and human rights law firm.
The resolution, titled “Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”, indicates that penalties would be “consistent with obligations of States arising from international human rights law.”
The move comes following the public burning of a Qur’an as a protest in Sweden. Swedish police had granted a permit for the protest, in accordance with its free-speech laws.
ADF International’s Director of UN Advocacy Giorgio Mazzoli commented that the deliberate burning of sacred books, whether it involves the Qur’an, the Bible, or the Torah, is an act of provocation, which can stir emotions and cause serious offense to many. However, he added, “in a democratic society, the cost of safeguarding our fundamental right to speak freely sometimes lies in the discomfort of being offended by the actions of others with which we disagree”.