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   West and Muslims Clash on Free Speech   
   Published: 4/1/08, 5:06 PM EDT   
   By ELIANE ENGELER   
   GENEVA (AP) - Muslim and Western nations clashed at the United Nations on   
   Tuesday after a measure backed by Islamic countries added monitoring religious   
   prejudice to the duties of a U.N. free speech expert.   
      
   The U.N. investigator on freedom of opinion and expression is responsible for   
   reporting on repressive governments' restriction of free speech. The change   
   sponsored by Egypt and Pakistan now requires him to also report acts of   
   "racial or religious    
   discrimination" that constitute "abuse of the right of freedom of expression."   
      
   The change passed 32-0 by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday was seen as   
   a move against forms of expression that have offended Muslims, such as Danish   
   newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The U.S., Canada and some European   
   countries said the    
   measure could curtail freedom of expression and help dictatorial regimes block   
   dissenting views.   
      
   "The resolution adopted attempts to legitimize the criminalization of   
   expression," U.S. Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor told the 47-nation Human   
   Rights Council.   
      
   European countries, Canada and some other nations abstained from voting last   
   week. The United States is not a member of the council but can speak as an   
   observer.   
      
   Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan said on behalf of the 57-nation Organization   
   of the Islamic Conference that the resolution would not limit free speech and   
   simply attempted to require people to exercise their freedom of expression   
   responsibly.   
      
   Egypt's ambassador, Sameh Shoukry, said the right to freedom from religious   
   discrimination and defamation was not being sufficiently protected, permitting   
   "some of the worst practices that incite racial and religious hatred."   
      
   Some Islamic groups began demanding limits on free speech after the   
   caricatures of Muhammad provoked riots in 2006. Muslim countries also   
   protested the recent release of an anti-Islamic film by a Dutch lawmaker as   
   well as controversial comments by the    
   pope about Islam.   
      
   The Human Rights Council has no enforcement powers, but is supposed to act as   
   the world's moral conscience.   
      
   It has been accused of spending excessive amounts of time focusing on Israel   
   while giving a free pass to countries with poor records of observing human   
   rights. The U.S. Senate voted in September to cut off U.S. funding for the   
   council, accusing it of    
   bias.   
      
   The council adopted a resolution last week urging countries to enact   
   anti-defamation laws to protect Muslims.   
      
   The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders warned that the change in job   
   description could shift Kenyan legal expert Ambeyi Ligabo's role as an   
   independent expert from protecting free speech toward limiting it.   
      
   "It turns someone who is supposed to defend freedom of opinion into a   
   prosecutor whose job is to go after those who abuse this freedom," the group   
   said in a statement.   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
West and Muslims Clash on Free Speech
   
   
Published: 4/1/08, 5:06 PM EDT
By ELIANE ENGELER
   
   
GENEVA (AP) - Muslim and Western nations clashed at the United Nations on    
   Tuesday after a measure backed by Islamic countries added monitoring religious    
   prejudice to the duties of a U.N. free speech expert.
   
   
The U.N. investigator on freedom of opinion and expression is responsible   
   for    
   reporting on repressive governments' restriction of free speech. The change    
   sponsored by Egypt and Pakistan now requires him to also report acts of   
   "racial    
   or religious discrimination" that constitute "abuse of the right of freedom of    
   expression."
   
   
The change passed 32-0 by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday was seen   
   as    
   a move against forms of expression that have offended Muslims, such as Danish    
   newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The U.S., Canada and some European    
   countries said the measure could curtail freedom of expression and help    
   dictatorial regimes block dissenting views.
   
   
"The resolution adopted attempts to legitimize the criminalization of   
   expression," U.S. Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor told the 47-nation Human   
   Rights    
   Council.
   
   
European countries, Canada and some other nations abstained from voting   
   last    
   week. The United States is not a member of the council but can speak as an    
   observer.
   
   
Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan said on behalf of the 57-nation   
   Organization    
   of the Islamic Conference that the resolution would not limit free speech and    
   simply attempted to require people to exercise their freedom of expression    
   responsibly.
   
   
Egypt's ambassador, Sameh Shoukry, said the right to freedom from religious    
   discrimination and defamation was not being sufficiently protected, permitting    
   "some of the worst practices that incite racial and religious hatred."
   
   
Some Islamic groups began demanding limits on free speech after the    
   caricatures of Muhammad provoked riots in 2006. Muslim countries also   
   protested    
   the recent release of an anti-Islamic film by a Dutch lawmaker as well as    
   controversial comments by the pope about Islam.
   
   
The Human Rights Council has no enforcement powers, but is supposed to act   
   as    
   the world's moral conscience.
   
   
It has been accused of spending excessive amounts of time focusing on   
   Israel    
   while giving a free pass to countries with poor records of observing human    
   rights. The U.S. Senate voted in September to cut off U.S. funding for the    
   council, accusing it of bias.
   
   
The council adopted a resolution last week urging countries to enact    
   anti-defamation laws to protect Muslims.
   
   
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders warned that the change in job    
   description could shift Kenyan legal expert Ambeyi Ligabo's role as an    
   independent expert from protecting free speech toward limiting it.
   
   
"It turns someone who is supposed to defend freedom of opinion into a   
   prosecutor whose job is to go after those who abuse this freedom," the group    
   said in a statement.
   
      
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