The differences between Western and Muslim perspectives on freedom of expression and insults against religions are on its peak following a film defaming Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).
As the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly opened in New York on Tuesday, September 25 comes amid Muslim fury over the American-made film insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
A French magazine also published cartoons mocking the prophet (PBUH), further angering Muslims.
It created contradictions on the views of freedom of speech over the western and the Muslim world.
In a report published in the Los Angeles Times, Stewart Patrick of the nonpartisan council on Foreigh relations told that “This has exposed a huge fault line in political philosophies.
While Pakistan’s Ambassador Zamir Akram said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council that the “Incidents like this clearly demonstrate the urgent need on the part of states to introduce adequate protection against acts of hate crimes, hate speech, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation and negative stereotyping of religions, and incitement to religious hatred, as well as denigration of venerated personalities,”
Zamir Akram further said the anti-prophet film, the burning of the Noble Qur’an and the publication of defamatory cartoons, amount to “deliberate attempts to discriminate, defame, denigrate and vilify Muslims and their beliefs”.
The anti-prophet insults have triggered calls for a UN resolution criminalizing blasphemy.