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Clinton hits out against religious "anti-defamation" laws

Published: October 28, 2009

Hillary Clinton

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Saying freedom of speech and religion should be upheld equally, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised laws around the world that make religious defamation a crime.

"Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called 'anti-defamation' policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion," she said on presenting a department report on religious freedom, according to an Agence France-Presse report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I strongly disagree. The United States will always... stand against discrimination and persecution... But an individual's ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others' freedom of speech," Clinton said.

"The protection of speech about religion is particularly important since persons of different faith will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse," she added.

FULL STORY

Clinton slams 'anti-defamation' trend (Sydney Morning Herald)

PHOTO CREDIT

Flickr / CC BY-2.0

 

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Recent Comments

  1. Crikey! I agree with her. I had better lie down.
    However, a critical distinction must be made when bigots deliberately mis-use the freedom of speech not to advance the Truth but to spread hate and intolerance or to falsify the evidence.

  2. The enemy of my enemy is my friend it seems.
    But then once her boss, Obama, has finished Orwell-ianising religion, I guess she won't have to worry about those Christians and others who dare to question the abortion industry facilitated by the Democratic party.

  3. "But an individual's ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others' freedom of speech," Clinton said.
    Hillary Clinton sadly makes the same mistake as many others are making in this matter.
    Hillary's error is in wanting to use protection of Freedom of Speech laws to give legitimacy to collective (individuals acting commonly en masse) defamation of religion, religious practices etc.
    In such cases, defamation of religion is no longer an individual expressing - however strongly, the divergence between people, but a populist/xenophobic attack on religion itself.
    When Freedom of Speech was recognised as a human right, it was done so in the context where religious beliefs were upheld with the same such right.
    What will happen if we allow such Freedom of Speech laws to effectively destroy freedom of religion and religious practice? Where will protection for freedom of speech be then? What else will we allow a misuse of it to destroy?
    The highest German Court has begun using religious defamation Laws, sensibly, I believe, firstly against PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in their appropriation of photos of NAZI Concentration Camp Jewish inmates for a spurious campaign against meat-eaters and now, secondly, against Bishop whats-his-name who denied the Holocaust.
    Appropriate use I feel, of anti-religious defamation principles.
    I would like the money for a test case here in Australia against the author, Kaz Cooke, for her book, "Girl Stuff." The book is promoted as a full-on, spare no details or information, for girls in the teen-age years. However, going past what this article here could be termed as, the Hillaryesque critique of anti-religious defamation principles, the book 'does a complete job' on religion in order to promote non-religion.
    The only trouble is, Australia, like the USA, has no protection for religion and religious thought, it is only assumed that no one would want to defame.

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