,,iv  #aad? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #bij  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,june #b1 #bjae ,mr4  
,pitts 7= himself & ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee7 
submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0     
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,=eign        
,affairs  ,,resolution  ,call+ = !      
global repeal ( blasphemy laws4  ,:]eas 
,article #ah ( ! ,int]national          
,decl>ation ( ,human ,rights affirms t  
ev]yone has ! "r to fre$om ( ?\ght1     
consci5ce1 & religion2 ,:]eas ?is "r    
includes fre$om to *ange "o's religion  
or belief & fre$om1 ei!r alone or 9     
community ) o!rs & 9 public or private1 
to manife/ "o's religion or belief 9    
tea*+1 practice1 wor%ip1 & obs]vance2   
,:]eas _m c\ntries h blasphemy laws t   
puni% expression deem$ blasphem\s       
7contemptu\s ( ,god or sacr$ ?+s71      
defamatory ( religion1 or insult+ to    
religion or religi\s symbols1 figures1  
or feel+s1 & su* puni%m5t c include     
f9es1 imprisonm5t1 & ev5 dea?2 ,:]eas   
blasphemy laws are inconsi/5t )         

int]national human rights /&>ds1 z !y   
protect beliefs ov] individuals & (t5   
result 9 violations ( ! fre$oms (       
religion & expression :i* are protect$  
"u int]national in/rum5ts1 includ+      
,articles #ah & #ai ( ! ,int]national   
,cov5ant on ,civil & ,political ,rights 
7,,iccpr72 ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,nations     
,human ,rights ,committee /at$ 9 ,g5]al 
,comm5t #cd t prohibitions ( displays ( 
lack ( respect = a religion or o!r      
belief sy/em1 includ+ blasphemy laws1   
are incompatible ) ! ,,iccpr42 ,:]eas an
 int]national gr\p ( exp]ts conv5$ by ! 
,(fice ( ! ,unit$ ,nations ,high        
,commission] = ,human ,rights recomm5d$ 
9 ! #bjab ,rabat ,plan ( ,action t      
states t h blasphemy laws %\ld repeal !m
 z su* laws h a /ifl+ impact on !       
enjoym5t ( fre$om ( religion or belief &
 heal?y dialogue & debate ab\t          
religion42 ,:]eas blasphemy laws also   
are inconsi/5t ) cons5sus ,unit$        
,nations resolutions adopt$ s9ce #bjaa t
 recognize t religi\s intol]ance1       

discrim9ation1 & viol5ce are be/ f\ght  
?r\gh positive measures1 su* z          
education1 outrea*1 & c\nt]-spee*1 & t  
crim9alization is appropriate only =    
incitem5t to imm95t viol5ce2 ,:]eas !   
,unit$ ,/ates ,commission on            
,int]national ,religi\s ,fre$om         
7,,uscirf7 has f\nd t blasphemy *>ges   
(t5 are bas$ on false accusations & us$ 
= political purposes1 & exac]bate       
religi\s intol]ance1 discrim9ation1 &   
viol5ce2 ,:]eas ! ,pew ,rese>* ,c5t] has
 f\nd t #dd c\ntries _h blasphemy laws z
 ( #bjab2 ,:]eas ^! laws 7 pres5t 9 #ad 
,middle ,ea/ & ,nor? ,african c\ntries1 
#aa c\ntries 9 ! ,am]icas1 #i           
,asia-,pacific c\ntries1 #g ,european   
c\ntries1 & #c ,sub-,sah>an ,african    
c\ntries2 ,:]eas ! ,pew ,rese>* ,c5t]   
also f\nd 9 #bjaa t c\ntries ) laws     
aga9/ blasphemy1 apo/asy1 or defamation 
( religion 7 m likely to h high gov]nm5t
 re/rictions on religion or social      
ho/ilities bas$ on religion ?an c\ntries
 t d n h su* laws2 ,:]eas ,saudi ,arabia

 has us$ crim9al *>ges ( blasphemy to   
suppress discussion & debate & sil5ce   
dissid5ts1 & publicly flogg$ ,raif      
,badawi #ej times z "p ( a puni%m5t = a 
blasphemy conviction2 ,:]eas ,badawi 0  
s5t5c$ 9 ,may #bjad to #aj ye>s 9 prison
 & #a1jjj la%es1 & f9$ #a1jjj1jjj ,,sr  
7#bff1jjj7 =1 among o!r *>ges1 insult+  
,islam & religi\s au?orities2 ,:]eas    
,,uscirf also reports t ,egypt has se5 a
 significant increase 9 ! use (         
blasphemy-type laws s9ce ! ,janu>y #be1 
#bjaa1 revolution1 includ+ dur+ & aft] !
 ,morsi era2 ,:]eas 9 ,janu>y #bjae1    
,egyptian a!i/ /ud5t ,k>im ,al-,banna 0 
giv5 a #c-ye> prison s5t5ce = blasphemy 
because a c\rt f\nd "s ( 8 ,facebook    
po/s to belittle ! div9e2 ,:]eas 9 ,june
 #bjad1 ,coptic ,*ri/ian ,kirollos      
,%awqi ,atallah 0 s5t5c$ to #f ye>s 9   
prison = defam+ ,islam on a ,facebook   
page2 ,:]eas ,,uscirf has f\nd t 9      
,paki/an & ,egypt1 ! blasphemy laws h   
be5 us$ m aga9/ ,muslims1 b             
disproportionately impact ^! c\ntries'  

small ,*ri/ian m9orities2 ,:]eas accord+
 to a ,pew ,c5t] ,report on ,religion & 
,public ,life1 ,paki/an is "o ( a h&ful 
( c\ntries t /& out z hav+ ! highe/     
levels ( re/rictions on religion :5 bo? 
gov]nm5t re/rictions & social ho/ilities
 are tak5 into acc\nt2 ,:]eas ,,uscirf  
has f\nd t ! mo/ egregi\s example ( !   
en=cem5t ( blasphemy laws & vigilante   
viol5ce connect$ to blasphemy           
allegations is ,paki/an1 :]e blasphemy  
*>ges are common & num]\s individuals   
are 9 prison1 ) a high p]c5tage s5t5c$  
to dea? or life t]ms2 ,:]eas1 z (       
,febru>y #bjae1 ,,uscirf is aw>e ( #ah  
individuals on dea? r[ = blasphemy 9    
,paki/an1 & #bj s]v+ life s5t5ces2      
,:]eas ,aasia ,bibi 0 s5t5c$ to dea? =  
blasphemy 9 #bjaj1 & ! ,lahore ,high    
,c\rt upheld ! conviction 9 late #bjad2 
,:]eas h] case is on appeal to !        
,supreme ,c\rt2 ,:]eas blasphemy laws 9 
,paki/an h fo/]$ a climate ( impunity1 z
 ^? :o falsify evid5ce g unpuni%$ &     
allegations c result 9 mob attacks or   

assass9ations1 ) little to no police    
response2 & ,:]eas 9 ,novemb] #bjad1    
,*ri/ians ,sajjad ,maseeh & 8 wife ,%ama
 ,bibi 7 beat5 to dea? & ?r[n 9 a brick 
kiln aft] allegations ( blasphemy 7 made
 aga9/ !m1 & 9 ,may #bjad ,muslim human 
rights attorney ,ra%id ,rehman 0        
assass9at$ = def5d+ someone accus$ (    
blasphemy3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x  ,t ! ,h\se 
( ,repres5tatives-- 7#a7 recognizes t   
blasphemy laws inappropriately position 
gov]nm5ts z arbit]s ( tru? or religi\s  
rightness z !y emp[] (ficials to en=ce  
p>ticul> religi\s views aga9/           
individuals1 m9orities2  7#b7 calls on !
 ,presid5t & ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,dep>tm5t (
 ,/ate to make ! repeal ( blasphemy laws
 a priority 9 its bilat]al relation%ips 
) all c\ntries t h su* laws ?r\gh direct
 int]v5tions 9 capitals & 9 multilat]al 
=a2  7#c7 enc\rages ! ,presid5t & !     
,unit$ ,/ates ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate to      
oppose any ef=ts at ! ,unit$ ,nations or
 o!r int]national or multilat]al =a to  
create an int]national anti-blasphemy   

norm1 su* z ! #aiii-bjaj defamation (   
religions resolutions1 or attempts to   
exp& ! int]national norm on incitem5t to
 include blasphemy or defamation (      
religions2  7#d7 supports ef=ts at !    
,unit$ ,nations to combat intol]ance1   
discrim9ation1 or viol5ce aga9/ p]sons  
bas$ on religion or belief )\t re/rict+ 
expression1 includ+ ,unit$ ,nations     
,human ,rights ,c\ncil ,resolution      
#af_/ah ( #bjaa & ! ,i/anbul ,process   
implem5tation meet+s1 consi/5t ) ! fir/ 
am5dm5t ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,con/itution2 
7#e7 reaffirms ! decision to designate  
,saudi ,arabia a c\ntry ( p>ticul>      
conc]n =1 among o!r reasons1 cont9u+ to 
deta9 & imprison p = blasphemy & =      
impos+ torture1 cruel1 inhuman or       
degrad+ treatm5t or puni%m5t1 & limit ! 
waiv] on ?is designation to no m ?an    
#ahj days2  7#f7 calls on ! ,presid5t & 
! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate to designate        
,paki/an & ,egypt ea* z a c\ntry (      
p>ticul> conc]n "u ! ,int]national      
,religi\s ,fre$om ,act = p]petrat+ &    

tol]at+ p>ticul>ly sev]e violations (   
religi\s fre$om1 includ+ abuses fl[+ f !
 en=cem5t ( its blasphemy law & f       
vigilante viol5ce ar\nd blasphemy       
allegations t takes place ) impunity2   
7#g7 urges ! ,gov]nm5ts ( ,paki/an1     
,saudi ,arabia1 ,egypt & ! gov]nm5ts (  
o!r c\ntries to am5d or repeal _!       
blasphemy laws z !y provide a pretext = 
impunity or viol5ce aga9/ religi\s      
m9orities2 &  7#h7 urges ^? c\ntries t h
 imprison$ p on *>ges ( blasphemy to    
release !m unconditionally &1 once      
releas$1 ensure _! safety & t ( _!      
families4