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Defamation of religion is negative, false speech directed at a particular religion that can cause harm. The UN has passed resolutions condemning it, but some fear it will undermine free speech. The UN argues it can lead to human rights abuses and heighten tensions between groups. Some argue it infringes on free speech, while others say it promotes harmony and tolerance.
Defamation is speech designed to be harmful to the reputation of a person or group and cannot be proven to be true. Defamation of religion, therefore, can generally be defined as speech directed at a particular religion that is negative, offensive, and false. In the pursuit of peaceful relations and freedom of religion, the United Nations has passed several resolutions condemning what it considers defamation of religion. Many groups fear this will undermine the right to free speech, while advocates say it will help increase tolerance.
There is no legally binding definition of defamation of religion; the general working definition, however, covers misrepresentations that are negative about a religion and have the potential to cause harm. This can occur using the spoken or written word, can include negative stereotyping, and is often inflammatory in nature. The United Nations has passed several resolutions condemning such behavior and would like to enact an international ban on the practice. These resolutions lacked universal support, with the United States and most Western democracies voting against them.
According to the United Nations, acts of defamation of religion have the potential to lead to human rights abuses, such as violent attacks against individuals or institutions associated with a particular religion. Unfortunate events such as the violent protests sparked by Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed are used as an example of the unrest that can arise. The United Nations has said that Islam is becoming increasingly associated with terrorism in the minds of many people around the world due to unwarranted negative portrayals in the press.
There are numerous groups in the United States who fear that an international ban on defamation of religion will interfere with free speech. They argue that the First Amendment to the US Constitution, for example, protects all speech and was written with the express purpose of allowing people to speak out without fear of repercussions. Criticism of government or religion is protected by this amendment as is freedom of religion. Additionally, members of the press say it is nearly impossible to report on world events without writing sometimes negatively about religion.
Those in favor of banning the defamation of religion argue that the practice heightens tensions between various groups and promotes stereotyping. They feel that in such cases it is justified to slightly infringe on freedom of speech and that criticizing other religions so negatively is actually not legally or constitutionally protected speech anyway. They propose that eliminating stereotypes and harmful verbal or written attacks can promote harmony and tolerance for religious diversity.
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