That Whole Petard Thing
From Dictionary.com:
4. hoist by or with one's own petard, hurt, ruined, or destroyed by the very device or plot one had intended for another.
Why bring that up? Well, this item from Eugene Volokh, writing over at The Volokh Conspiracy:
A New International Law "Value" — Freedom from "Defamation of Religions"?
Washburn University law professor Liaquat Ali Khan has an interesting article in The American Muslim called Combating Defamation of Religions:
A new value is emerging in the realm of the peoples' rights. Now two years in a row, the United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution called, Combating Defamation of Religions. Although the Defamation Resolution applies to all religions, it highlights "the negative projection of Islam in the media and the introduction and enforcement of laws that specifically discriminate against and target Muslims." …
The General Assembly resolutions may contain soft international law. With the passage of time and compliant state behavior, some resolutions pave the way for the formation of a multilateral treaty or customary international law. In almost all cases, these resolutions reflect the international community’s views, which cannot be dismissed as mere opinions. These views, even when they fall short of opinio juris, influence multilateral relations and compose the sociology of international law….
[T]he Defamation Resolution urges states to prevent political institutions and organizations from fomenting discrimination, hostility, and violence against religious groups….
Brings to mind a couple of bloggers currently under fire for anti-Catholic/anti-Christian rants on their blogs. The left being champions of International Law and all, what exactly would such a new "human right" do to them? Those who regularly enjoy bashing Christians might want to seriously think about this issue in light of the UNs continuing efforts to get this "right" recognized. And Volokh is pretty well merciless in tearing it up, by the way. Such a "right" would be anathema to the American constitution. As he puts it:
Our Constitution is far from perfect, both as written and as interpreted. I think courts should indeed change their views on many issues, and people should try to press courts to do so. But this should be our decision as Americans. We should not cede our control over our constitutional rights to international bodies, international professional elites, or even to our own President and Senate.
But it will be kind of amusing to watch the bob and weave this brings about if any of the far left even acknowledge that they are in violation of the "international community’s views", won't it? After all, they have repeated said the administration is acting in defiance of the international community's views.
Yeah, that whole petard thing applies.
By Bleepless, Wednesday, 7 February , 2007 @ 7:53 pm
If Muslims were forbidden from attacking Judaism, they would be stricken mute.