An inside look at the UN's new "defamation of religion" resolution

During the last two weeks in March, I participated in the negotiations over the new UN Human Rights Council resolution combating "defamation of religions."  I just published some of my impressions at Religion Dispatches.

UN Human Rights Council does it again

The UN Human Rights Council has done it again. It has again resolved to "combat the defamation of religions." I actually sat through hours of negotiations over the draft text of this resolution in Geneva, and I still don't know what in God's name the defamation of religions is.

Similar resolutions have been passed by the Council since 1999 and by the General Assembly since 2005. The resolution passed with 23 in favor, 11 against, and 13 abstentions, gaining two additional votes since the last time it was adopted by the Council.