The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, by a vote of 386-3 passed House Resolution 512 (full text) calling for the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws. The Resolution says in part:
[B]lasphemy laws have affected Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Baha’i, secularists, and many other groups, are inconsistent with international human rights standards because they establish and promote official religious orthodoxy and dogma over individual liberty, and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion, thought, and expression that are protected under international instruments, including Articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)....
The Resolution "calls on the President and the Secretary of State to make the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws a priority in the bilateral relationships...."
