IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 763 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations 

resolutions on the ‘‘defamation of religions’’ are incompatible with the 

fundamental freedoms of individuals to freely exercise and peacefully 

express their religious beliefs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 

Mr. POE of Texas (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, 

and Mr. INGLIS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United Nations resolutions on the ‘‘defamation of 

religions’’ are incompatible with the fundamental freedoms of individuals to freely exercise and peacefully express their religious beliefs. 

Whereas since 1999, the United Nations has annually passed 

a resolution on the ‘‘defamation of religions’’ in the 

Human Rights Council (previously the Commission on 

Human Rights) and in the General Assembly; 

Whereas unlike traditional defamation laws, which punish 

false statements of fact that harm individual persons, 

measures prohibiting the ‘‘defamation of religions’’ punish the peaceful criticism of ideas; 


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•HRES 763 IH 

Whereas United Nations resolutions on the ‘‘defamation of 

religions’’ contradict United States Constitutional protections of free speech and the free exercise of religion; 

Whereas the concept of ‘‘defamation of religions’’ is fundamentally inconsistent with the principles outlined in 

the United Nations’ founding documents, including the 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms 

the protection of persons, rather than ideas; 

Whereas Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights recognizes that ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in 

public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in 

teaching, practice, worship and observance’’; 

Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights recognizes that ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, 

receive and impart information and ideas through any 

media and regardless of frontiers’’; 

Whereas the sponsor of these United Nations resolutions, the 

Organization of the Islamic Conference, has indicated 

that it is seeking to create a legally binding mechanism 

to combat the ‘‘defamation of religions’’; 

Whereas such resolutions provide international support for 

domestic anti-blasphemy laws in some countries; 

Whereas domestic anti-blasphemy laws are often used by governments to punish the peaceful expression of disfavored 

religious beliefs and ideas; 


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•HRES 763 IH 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights has confirmed that there is no international consensus on the concept of ‘‘defamation of religions’’, and 

multiple United Nations Special Rapporteurs have acknowledged that the difficulties in providing an objective 

definition of the term ‘‘defamation of religions’’ at the 

international level make the whole concept open to abuse; 

Whereas the United States Constitution does not guarantee, 

and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not 

recognize, the right to have one’s beliefs protected from 

challenge or criticism, or the right not to be offended; 

Whereas existing legal instruments already address discrimination, personal defamation, and incitement to violence in 

ways that are more carefully focused to address those 

specific problems without unduly threatening the rights 

of speech and religious free exercise; and 

Whereas legal efforts alone cannot foster an environment of 

respect and religious freedom, and education and public 

diplomacy are vital tools in the protection of a peaceful 

and robust exchange of ideas and beliefs: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) underscores the value of respectful speech 

3 and civil dialogue, at the same time that it affirms 

4 that the freedoms of speech and religious free exer5 cise are integral to the health of free societies and 

6 the dignity of the human person; 

7 (2) strongly urges the Secretary of State to 

8 make every effort to defeat the passage of future 


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•HRES 763 IH 

1 resolutions on the ‘‘defamation of religions’’ at the 

2 United Nations, and other resolutions or inter3 national instruments that would threaten the free 

4 and peaceful exchange of ideas, beliefs, and truth 

5 claims; 

6 (3) calls on the United Nations to abandon all 

7 efforts to adopt or affirm the flawed concept of ‘‘def8 amation of religions’’; and 

9 (4) urges fellow Member States of the United 

10 Nations to focus on protecting the fundamental free11 dom of individuals to peacefully express their reli12 gious beliefs, and to avoid supporting resolutions 

13 that threaten the freedom of expression. 

Æ 


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