When: Thursday, 16. September 2010 13.00-15.00
To: Thursday, 16. September 2010
Where: Geneva, UN-building, room XXI
Host: International PEN
Contact: (+47 22 60 74 50)
More info: www.norskpen.no/php/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=54
International PEN and its national centers are extremely concerned about ongoing processes in the United Nations aiming at combating defamation of religions. We are also concerned about the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Complementary Standards established in 2007 by the Islamic Conference (OIC) and a group of African countries in order to draft a treaty that would ban religious defamation.
Human Rights protect individual human beings, not institutions or religions. Criticism of religions and religious practices must be allowed, in particular when religions are viewed from a political point of view. As organizations representing writers, artists and journalists of all faiths and none, we warn against any regulations prohibiting criticism of any religion or any set of ideas.
Against this background we have asked a group of high profiled scholars, writers and human rights defender to join us for a side-event in Geneva on the afternoon of 16th September. The venue in the UN-building will be announced 10 days ahead of the event.
The panel:
Dr. Agnes Callamard, director, ARTICLE 19 (UK)
Professor Tariq Ramadan (Switzerland)
Mr. Budhy M. Rahman, Program Officer, The Asia Foundation (Indonesia)
Moderator:
Mr. John Ralston Saul, writer, president of International PEN (Canada)
There will also be videotaped statements from a number of high-profiled writers.
More information to follow – please spread this information in your network.
This event is hosted by International PEN.
Technical and administrative operators and/or program partners: American and Norwegian PEN, Index on Censorship, International Publishers Association and ARTICLE 19.
Further information from Norwegian PEN at pen@norskpen.no or + 47 926 88 023
