Media Advisory: Angela Wu moderates Georgetown panel on “defamation of religions”

Oct 20, 2009

Media Advisory:

What: Human Rights and the Defamation of Religions

When: October 21, 2009, 1:30-5:00pm

Where: Georgetown University Law Center
              Hotung International Law Building, Dining Room
              550 First St. NW, Washington DC 20001

Who:

Introduction by Abdullahi An-Na’im, Charles Howard Candler Professor,
Emory Law School and Senior Visiting Fellow, Berkley Center

Panel I: Angela Wu, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; Knox Thames, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, Freedom House

Panel II: Ted Piccone, Brookings Institution; Abdullahi An-Na\'im; José Casanova, Georgetown University; Tad Stahnke, Human Rights First

Keynote Speaker: Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression.

Why: The defamation of religions raises complex issues at the intersection of domestic and international law and policy. How do states conceptualize the relationship between freedom of speech, censorship, blasphemy laws, and the prohibition on defamation or hate speech? In what way is “defamation of religion” a human rights issue? In an introduction, two panels, and a keynote speech the speakers will discuss the implications of this issue at the state and international level.

Please click here for more information, and here to RSVP.

The Becket Fund has been a leading advocate against the resolutions and “defamation of religions” concept, and has delivered several interventions before the Human Rights Council and issued a brief on this topic as well as having testified before various governmental bodies, non-governmental bodies and the press.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a non-profit public interest law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Becket Fund defends religious freedom for people of all faiths. Its clients have included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. The Becket Fund is a non governmental organization with consultative status before the United Nations.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Kristina Arriaga at karriaga@becketfund.org or cell +1.703.582.8962.

Becket Fund Resources and Documents:

What is “Defamation of Religions?”

Legal Brief

United Nations Human Rights Council testimony (2006)

United Nations Human Rights Council testimony (2009)

Emory Law Review article