Domestic blasphemy laws, far beyond their clear violation of freedom of expression, are responsible for broad violations of human rights, particularly when applied in weak democracies and authoritarian systems, according toa study released by Freedom House today.
Policing Belief: The Impact of Blasphemy on Human Rights examines how governments use these laws to legitimize crackdowns on minority groups, dissidents and other divergent views under the pretext of maintaining 'social harmony.'
While Policing Belief uses cases studies of seven countries -Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland-the findings are indicative of the danger blasphemy laws pose more broadly, particularly in countries lacking strong democratic safeguards. [News Blaze] Read more [via National Secular Society]
