Frank La Rue is a UN Special Rapporteur on the right to free expression. (Only a bloated bureaucracy like the UN could come up with a title like “rapporteur.”)
Anyway, La Rue found himself in hot water last week at the Organization of the Islamic Conference. All because he had the nerve to say, “Restrictions (on free speech) should never be used to protect particular institutions or abstract notions, concepts or beliefs, including religious ones.”
He went on to say that “defamation of religions does not accord with international standards on freedom of expression.”
That’s when the couscous hit the fan. Angry Muslim representatives from Africa, the Gulf States, Pakistan, Algeria, Egypt, Malaysia, Sudan and Yemen want La Rue fired for…well…for supporting free speech.
Luckily, La Rue found support from the United States, the United Kingdom and several other nations who pointed out that the UN’s free speech rapporteur should feel free to speak freely.
In the words of MediaWatchWatch.org, “Allah forbid that an officer responsible for the protection of freedom of expression should be free to express his support for freedom of expression!”
Source: MediaWatchWatch.org.uk
