US Religious Freedom Report Hits Speech Curbs
By David Gollust
State Department
26 October 2009

U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report 2009
The U.S. State Department’s annual report on world-wide religious freedom, released Monday, was critical of what it says are international efforts to limit free speech in the name of combating defamation of religion. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, has been pushing such anti-defamation measures in U.N. bodies.

The State Department report says the United States deplores actions that show disrespect for religious traditions, including Islam.

But it says the broad anti-defamation measures being sought by the Islamic Conference would have the effect of curbing debate about religious issues and should be discarded in favor of outreach and government defense of religious freedom and free speech.

Assistant Secretary Posner said the State Department expects to issue, by year’s end, a new list of countries of particular concern on religious freedom, which would be subject to possible U.S. sanctions.

The current list, issued at the close of the Bush administration, includes Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

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