UN to intervene in Mohammed cartoon furore

Denmark.dk reports that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louse Arbour, is set to investigate the Jylands-Posten Mohammed cartoons controversy.

But don’t get too excited. She doesn’t seem too concerned about defending the human right to freedom of expression. In her response to the complaint from The Organisation of Islamic Conferences, Arbour said:

I would like to emphasise that I deplore any statement or act showing a lack of respect towards other people’s religion.

She has appointed UN experts in the areas of religious freedom and racism to investigate the matter, and says that she is “confident that they will take action in an adequate manner.”

Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Per Stig Møller, remains adamant that this is not an issue in which the government should intervene.


7 Responses to “UN to intervene in Mohammed cartoon furore”

  1. Andrew Nixon says:

    Quite worrying stuff from the UN.

    Everybody seems to be getting caught up in this “respect the beliefs of others” crap. The real problem is actually that people aren’t respecting the right of others to have particular beliefs, and it’s the religous themselves who are the main villians there.

  2. […] Denmark.dk (via MediaWatchWatch) reports that the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, has waded into the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. […]

  3. G. Tingey says:

    Exactly the point.

    When will the “respect the religious’ opinions” people realise that the relgious opinions consist of blackmail misogyny, hate for other religions, fear, torture and oppression … ?

  4. Andy Gilmour says:

    I’m a card-carrying, died-in-the-wool, wet-that-label-and-slap-it-on-me-now-baby agnostic. Who’s protecting my religious freedoms? (Ok, so that essentially means freedom from other people’s religions, but seriously…)

    Maybe it’s because we lack the snappy “Thou Shalt NOT!” & “Kill the unbelievers/gays/anyone we vaguely dislike today” slogans…

    Accept Scientific Empiricism as Your One True Method!! Embrace Uncertainty!

    hmmmmm….maybe not. Perhaps some e-mails should be sent to this UN department pointing out small details about freedom of artistic expression in democratic countries…

  5. passerby says:

    Meh, the UN spokesperson has to be seen to be looking into it, but the UN has no power over what newspapers can or cannot print in any given country, so its a pretty impotent gesture. Besides, what if the Danish government stands by its reputation for having the freest press in the world (according to reporters without borders) and refuses to intervine, what will the UN do? Inpose sactions?.
    Funny though, many of those countries complaining are no bastions of human rights, and a few are even complicit with the whole US torture thing.
    Seems to me they are simply using this as a distraction so divert attention to their own state of affairs.
    Religion truely is the opium of the masses.

  6. Dan says:

    Thought it was interesting to compare the BBC and CNN’s coverage of Muslim’s protesting the publishing of the Danish cartoons. Personally, if people are threatening things like “Europe your 911 is on its way” I think everyone has a right to know.

  7. sparky says:

    isnt it shocking that the way ‘muslims’ react to a cartoon depicting their prophet in such a way is to burn stuff and blow stuff up? i mean, not to say they walked right into that one or anything…
    i think the real problem is that little thing called ‘freedom of speech’. might not like someones opinion, but at least respect the right to express it. either that or just blow the hell out of everything and or threaten to behead people just because it upsets you. which is gonna work?