The Saudi National Society of Human Rights (NSHR) Saturday issued a statement condemning the anti-Islam film made “by an irresponsible group in the USA”, describing it as offensive to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The NSHR strongly condemned who was behind producing, showing and supporting the film. It called upon all countries, humanitarian and rights institutes in the world to work together to stand against the repetition of offensive and abusive practices, prevent them, and convict the doers. The society also called upon the international society to curb the spreading of such practice and the legal pretexts that protect the makers under the “freedom of speech” justification.
The practice of freedom of speech, the human rights society stressed, should be constrained by showing respect to beliefs and sanctities as well as religious symbols. All international agreements, international charters, and conventions stress the importance of respecting religions, beliefs and symbols of all nations, the NSHR pointed out, adding that such practices are considered a violation of article 20.2 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which reads: “Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law”.
Denouncing all that calls for hatred, hostility and disrespect of cultural and religious diversity is consistent with the UN’s General Assembly and the Human Rights Council’s decision regarding opposing defamation of religion images. The decisions urge all nations to provide, within their constitutional and legal systems, necessary protection against hatred and discrimination actions that result from insulting religions.
The NSHR requested countries to take all necessary actions to enhance forgiveness, tolerance and respect of all religions, and to exert all efforts – in accordance with their national legislations and in compliance with the international law on human rights – to ensure complete respect and protection of religious symbols. The society also called upon the international society to work on activating the conventions that support religious symbols and condemn insulting prophets and messengers, and to refer the cases to specialized bodies to issue international conventions as part of the international human rights regulations. At the same time, it called upon Arab and Islamic countries to take all actions to ensure persecution of the offenders.
The NSHR stressed that while it strongly condemned the abusive film on Prophet Muhammad and Islam, it pointed out that expressing condemnation and rejection of this matter should be through peaceful and legal tools away from killing and insulting the innocents or targeting diplomatic headquarters.
NSHR condemns abusive film, calls for peaceful reactions
