The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a nonbinding resolution urging a global prohibition on the public defamation of religion.
The document was opposed by European and several other non-Muslim countries, who cited the resolution's excessive focus on Islam and incompatibility with fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and thought.
The resolution makes no mention of any other religion besides Islam.
There are 17 Muslim countries on the 47-nation council, which replaced the discredited UN Human Rights Commission. The council has no power beyond drawing attention to rights issues.
Discussion of the resolution started last year after protests across the Islamic world drew attention to caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad first printed in a Danish newspaper.
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
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