The Atheist Alliance International (AAI) – an umbrella organization of atheist organizations and individuals across the world – roundly condemned the passage on Thursday, March 26 of a non-binding resolution by the UN Human Rights Council, led by Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic States, to claim that religions held a ‘human right’ to not be criticized.

AAI had signed on to a joint plea with other humanist and secularist groups from around the world urging the UN body to reject the resolution.

“This resolution is an affront and outrage to human beings, and is the first time that any UN body has applied the concept of human rights to apply to institutions.  The rationale behind this twisting of fundamental meaning is incomprehensible and should be rejected by the world community,” stated Stuart Bechman, AAI president.

“This is yet the latest effort by religious groups to press for special privileges at the expense of individuals.  US founding father Benjamin Franklin had it right when he stated that any religion which requires government and legal support to survive is a sign of its being a bad religion.

“Human rights are by definition intended for human beings, not for political or other institutions.  They are recognized the world over as inalienable and morally superseding all other laws.  Granting special privilege to ideas and institutions over people subverts those rights and provides justification for institutions to persecute those who are compelled to follow their conscience.

“This resolution is laced with questionable and even offensive claims.  Amazingly, this resolution actually includes the phrase: “Defamation of religious [sic] is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to religious violence,", and that "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism."   This very resolution is a violation of human rights, as the rest of the world understands them; and serves as a clarion call of a dangerous movement by the Muslim world to suppress dissent and criticism of itself.”

AAI calls on world governments to reject this bogus resolution and to demand that the HRC return to its role of protecting human beings, not special-interest groups.