,,iii  #aae? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 ,,res4 #fdg  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!
 ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,septemb] #be1 #bjah  
,mr4 ,lank=d 7= himself & ,mr4 ,coons7  
submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0     
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,=eign        
,relations  ,,resolution  ,call+ = !    
global repeal ( blasphemy1 h]esy1 &     
apo/asy laws4  ,:]eas ,article #ah ( !  
,int]national ,decl>ation ( ,human      
,rights /ates t ev]yone has ! "r to     
fre$om ( ?\ght1 consci5ce & religion2   
?is "r includes fre$om to *ange 8       
religion or belief1 & fre$om1 ei!r alone
 or 9 community ) o!rs & 9 public or    
private1 to manife/ 8 religion or belief
 9 tea*+1 practice1 wor%ip & obs]vance2 
,:]eas _m c\ntries cont9ue to h crim9al 
blasphemy laws & puni% p :o engage 9    
expression deem$ by ! gov]nm5t to be    
blasphem\s1 h]etical1 apo/ate1          
defamatory ( religion1 or insult+ to    
religion or to religi\s symbols1        
figures1 or feel+s1 & su* puni%m5t c    
include f9es1 imprisonm5t1 & capital    

puni%m5t includ+ by behead+2 ,:]eas     
blasphemy laws h affect$ ,*ri/ians1     
,muslims1 ,h9dus1 ,baha'i1 secul>i/s1 & 
_m o!r gr\ps1 & are inconsi/5t )        
int]national human rights /&>ds because 
!y e/abli% & promote (ficial religi\s   
or?odoxy & dogma ov] individual lib]ty1 
& (t5 result 9 violations ( ! fre$oms ( 
religion1 ?\ght1 & expression t are     
protect$ "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
 ) ! ,,iccpr2 ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates    
,commission on ,int]national ,religi\s  
,fre$om 7,,uscirf7 has f\nd t blasphemy 
*>ges are (t5 bas$ on false accusations1
 are us$ = sect>ian or political        
purposes1 & fo/] 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 t c\ntries ) laws aga9/
 blasphemy1 apo/asy1 or defamation (    
religion 7 m likely to h sev]e          
gov]nm5tal re/rictions on religion1 & to
 exp]i5ce social ho/ilities bas$ on     
religion1 ?an c\ntries t did n h su*    
laws2 ,:]eas an int]national gr\p (     
exp]ts conv5$ by ! ,(fice ( ! ,unit$    
,nations ,high ,commission] = ,human    
,rights recomm5d$ 9 #bjab t states t h  
blasphemy laws %\ld repeal !m z su* laws
 h a /ifl+ impact on ! enjoym5t ( fre$om
 ( religion or belief & heal?y dialogue 
& debate ab\t religion2 ,:]eas blasphemy
 laws are inconsi/5t ) ,unit$ ,nations  
resolutions adopt$ by cons5sus s9ce     
#bjaa recogniz+ t religi\s intol]ance is
 be/ f\ght ?r\gh positive measures1 su* 

z education1 outrea*1 & c\nt]-spee*1 & t
 crim9alization ( spee* is w>rant$ only 
= ! prev5tion ( imm95t viol5ce2 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to ! annual religi\s fre$om     
report publi%$ by ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate 9 
#bjae1 attack]s 9 ,banglade% kill$ five 
alleg$ly anti-,islamic or secul>i/      
writ]s & publi%]s1 & injur$ ?ree o!rs2  
,:]eas1 9 response to ^! kill+s1 ! ,home
 ,m9i/] ( ,banglade%1 r ?an condemn+ !  
murd]s1 call$ on blogg]s & o!rs to      
refra9 f writ+s t c\ld hurt ! religi\s  
feel+s ( o!rs & add$ t violators ( !    
w>n+ w\ld be subject to prosecution "u !
 re/rictive religi\s fre$om laws (      
,banglade%2 ,:]eas a #bjaf report by    
,,uscirf on ,banglade% f\nd t religi\s &
 civil society gr\ps fe> t increas+     
religi\s extremism w result 9 m crim9al 
attacks & ?reats2 ,:]eas re/rictive     
religi\s fre$om laws validate & promote 
social viol5ce t>get$ at religi\s       
m9orities & diss5t]s1 :e!r ,*ri/ian1    
,muslim1 secul>i/1 or o!r2 ,:]eas       
,,uscirf has f\nd t 9 ,paki/an1         

blasphemy laws h be5 us$ to prosecute & 
p]secute ,muslims1 ,*ri/ians1 secul>i/s1
 & o!rs2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to a ,pew ,c5t]
 report on religion & public life1      
,paki/an /&s out = hav+ "o ( ! 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 egregi\s examples ( ! en=cem5t 
( blasphemy laws & vigilante viol5ce    
connect$ to blasphemy allegations 9     
,paki/an1 :]e blasphemy *>ges are common
 & num]\s individuals are 9 prison1 ) a 
high p]c5tage s5t5c$ to dea? or to life 
9 prison2 ,:]eas1 z ( ,febru>y #bjae1   
,,uscirf is aw>e ( #ah individuals on   
dea? r[ = blasphemy 9 ,paki/an & #bj    
s]v+ life s5t5ces2 ,:]eas ,asia ,bibi 0 
s5t5c$ to dea? = blasphemy 9 #bjaj1 & ! 
,lahore ,high ,c\rt upheld ! conviction 
9 late #bjad1 & h] case is on appeal to 
! ,supreme ,c\rt ( ,paki/an2 ,:]eas     
blasphemy laws 9 ,paki/an h fo/]$ a     
climate ( impunity1 z ^? :o falsify     
evid5ce g unpuni%$ & allegations (t5    

result 9 viol5t mob attacks or          
assass9ations1 ) little to no police    
response2 ,:]eas1 9 #bjag1 ! ,*ri/ian   
,gov]nor ( ,jak>ta1 ,indonesia1 0       
convict$ = blasphemy ( ,islam & s5t5c$  
to two ye>s 9 jail2 ,:]eas ! application
 ( blasphemy laws is on ! rise 9        
,europe2 ,:]eas blasphemy laws 9 !      
,unit$ ,/ates 7 invalidat$ by ! adoption
 ( ! ,fir/ ,am5dm5t to ! ,con/itution1  
:i* protects ! fre$oms ( ?\ght1         
consci5ce1 expression1 & religi\s       
ex]cise2 & ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates has   
become a beacon ( religi\s fre$om &     
tol]ance ar\nd ! _w3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x   
,t ! ,s5ate-- 7#a7 recognizes t         
blasphemy1 h]esy1 & apo/asy laws        
inappropriately position gov]nm5ts z    
arbit]s ( religi\s tru? & emp[] (ficials
 to impose religi\s dogma on individuals
 or m9orities ?r\gh ! p[] ( ! gov]nm5t  
or ?r\gh viol5ce sanction$ by !         
gov]nm5t2  7#b7 calls on ! ,presid5t & !
 ,secret>y ( ,/ate to make ! repeal (   
blasphemy1 h]esy1 & apo/asy laws a      

priority 9 ! bilat]al relation%ips ( !  
,unit$ ,/ates ) all c\ntries t h su*    
laws1 ?r\gh direct int]v5tions 9        
bilat]al & multilat]al =a2  7#c7        
enc\rages ! ,presid5t & ! ,secret>y (   
,/ate to oppose-- 7,a7 any ef=ts1 by !  
,unit$ ,nations or by o!r int]national  
or multilat]al =a1 to create an         
int]national anti-blasphemy norm1 su* z 
! defamation ( religions resolutions    
introduc$ 9 ! ,unit$ ,nations betwe5    
#aiii & #bjaj2 &  7,b7 any attempts to  
exp& ! int]national norm on incitem5t to
 include blasphemy or defamation (      
religions2  7#d7 supports ef=ts by !    
,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 7#bjaa7 & ! ,i/anbul ,process   
meet+s pursuant to su* resolution1 t are
 consi/5t ) ! ,fir/ ,am5dm5t to !       
,con/itution2  7#e7 calls on ! ,presid5t
 & ! ,secret>y ( ,/ate to designate     

c\ntries t en=ce blasphemy1 h]esy1 or   
apo/asy laws z c\ntries ( p>ticul>      
conc]n = religi\s fre$om "u section     
#djb7;b77#a77;,a77ii7 ( ! ,int]national 
,religi\s ,fre$om ,act ( #aiih 7#bb     
,u4,s4,c4 #fddb7;b77#a77;,a77ii77 =     
engag+ 9 or tol]at+ sev]e violations (  
religi\s fre$om1 z a result ( ! abuses  
fl[+ f ! en=cem5t ( su* laws & f        
unpuni%$ vigilante viol5ce (t5 g5]at$ by
 blasphemy allegations2  7#f7 urges !   
gov]nm5ts ( c\ntries t en=ce blasphemy1 
h]esy1 or apo/asy laws to am5d or repeal
 su* laws1 z !y provide pretext &       
impunity = vigilante viol5ce aga9/      
religi\s m9orities2 &  7#g7 urges !     
gov]nm5ts ( c\ntries t h prosecut$1     
imprison$1 & p]secut$ p on *>ges (      
blasphemy1 h]esy1 or apo/asy to release 
su* p unconditionally &1 once releas$1  
to ensure _! safety & t ( _! families4