Clinton opposing the religion defamation laws

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared herself on Monday against the institution of an offence of religion defamation

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared herself on Monday against the institution of an "defamation" of the religions, judging the freedom of religion and the freedom of expression both in the same way indispensable.

- Some people assert that the best way of protecting the freedom of religion is to adopt a legislation in favour of pro-anti-defamation. I profoundly disagree, - launched the chief of American diplomacy by presenting a report of the State Department on the freedom of religion. 

- The United States will always try to counter stereotypes (...) and will fight the discrimination and the persecution. But the freedom of an individual to practise his religion does not have to have consequences on the freedom of expression of the others.  -

- The protection of the word on the religion is all the more important as the persons of different religions have inevitably different points of view on the religious questions. These differences must be approached by the tolerance, - she underlined.

Egypt and the United States presented a resolution on the freedom of expression to the UN Council of the human rights adopted it in September, whereas the European Union and the Latin American countries considered that the text flirted with the controversial concept of "defamation of religions". This text denounces - the continuous climb of negative stereotypes on religions and racial groups in the world and condemns in this context any incentive toward racial, national or religious hatred. –

Annual report of the State Department on the freedom of religion serves as base to a declaration, generally adopted a few months later, which lists the countries where the situation on the subject is considered "worrisome" by the United States. These countries were, in 2009, Saudi Arabia, Burma, China, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan and Uzbekistan. The list was unchanged with regard to the previous year.

Michael Posner, Delegate Secretary of State in charge of human rights, raised on Monday the "contradictory tendencies", including - an increasing recognition of the fact that further dialogue is necessary. - Mr Posner quoted in particular this kind of initiatives in the Philippines, in Jordan, in Qatar and in Spain.

"Negative" trend on the other hand, according to the latter official shows in: - Laws on the blasphemy, very strong interreligious tensions in numerous societies, limitations aggravated in many places as for the rights of the religious groups to be recognized or to receive financing. –