Unlikely free-speech advocates

The Organization of the Islamic Conference is proposing to somehow suppress "defamation" of religion through legal action. But the Saudi parliament (Saudi Arabia has a parliament?) turned it down:

The Saudi Arabian Parliament Monday rejected a recommendation to adopt an international agreement that forbids insulting of religions, prophets and clerics, the Saudi daily Al-Watan reported.

Seventy-seven members of parliament rejected the recommendation, claiming that if they adopted the agreement, they would have had to recognize the legitimacy of idolatrous religions, such as Buddhism.

The recommendation was put forward by MP Muhammad Al-Quweiha's. In his recommendation, Al- Quweiha's wrote that the Saudi Foreign Ministry should cooperate with the Arab and Islamic bloc in the United Nations to adopt the agreement.

"The concept of religions varies from one country to the other and from one culture to the other. Buddhism and Bahaism are considered religions in some countries, but must Muslims respect these sects and not condemn them," said MP Khalil Al-Khalil, who rejected the recommendation. [via Best of the Web]

If they had the cojones to specifically demand that everyone else in the world make Islam free from criticism, while insisting that every other faith is fair game, they'd do it. So this is a kind of progress, I guess. (Ironically, these guys seem to understand freedom of expression more than some Canadians.)

On a related note, guess who's finally gotten around to complaining about the Danish cartoons of blasphemy?

Damian P.

Posted by damian at March 20, 2008 07:29 AM