Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Nonsense:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_12_30-2008_01_05.shtml#1199424355
Also from the [1]resolution "Combating defamation of religions" passed
by the U.N. General Assembly (see the post below):
Affirms that the Human Rights Council shall promote universal
respect for all religious and cultural values and address instances
of intolerance, discrimination and incitement of hatred against any
community or adherents of any religion ...
"[U]niversal respect for all religious and cultural values"? Surely
this is patently impossible, and in fact contradicted within the same
resolution by a provision that says, "Urges States to ensure equal
access to education for all, in law and in practice, including access
to free primary education for all children, both girls and boys, and
access for adults to lifelong learning and education based on respect
for human rights, diversity and tolerance, without discrimination of
any kind, and to refrain from any legal or other measures leading to
racial segregation in access to schooling." Holy war against
nonbelievers is a religious value. Racial segregation is to some a
religious value and to some a cultural value. Lesser education for
girls than boys is to some a cultural value that is at least imbued
with religious tradition.
True, they are bad religious and cultural values -- but unless one
redefines "religious and cultural values" to mean "good religious and
cultural values," they surely are religious and cultural values. So
either the statement is patently impossible, or (if one does redefine
the phrase the way I alluded to) tautological and thus lacking in
meaning. But I suppose meaning is too much to expect in this context.
References
1.
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N07/579/32/PDF/N0757932.pdf?OpenElement
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