In a brief interview with Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh, a political analyst Khabar Online considered the legal aspects of the recent anti-Muslim film produced in the United States which triggered the crisis in the Islamic countries.
Can one count insulting religions as one of the instances of human rights violation?
From the view of human thinking it’s possible, since belief in a religion must be regarded as a primary human right and offending any religion can be regarded as the violation of the human rights. However in the world today, such notions would be put into practice if only are approved and ratified in international meetings.
You mean in the United Nations’ meetings?
Not necessarily in the United Nations meetings, but in international congresses and assemblies such rules and formulas can be ratified internationally. For example such issue can be raised in the summits of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but this plan should be formulized and then ratified.
Why in some European countries questioning some historical events including Holocaust is a crime, but the same is not true about the world religions?
It's one of the notable aspects of the West’s moral-cultural double standards. For example based on a law in France, using standard religious signs in public places is illegal. It should be noted that although wooden cross for instance is not an obligatory religious symbol to use, for Muslim women wearing veil is one of the Islamic tenets which challenges such law.
Insulting religions is almost justified within the framework of freedom of speech. How do you observe it?
One of the other examples of hypocrisy and contradiction in the acts of the Western governments is their justification for insulting religions based on the freedom of speech. Although the West’s politicians condemn such acts but argue that the freedom of speech is one of the primary principles of a democratic society. But the problem lies in the fact that when for example a French magazine draws on its freedom of speech to publish insulting caricatures of Muslims’ prophet, why those protesters who have been insulted are not allowed to stage demonstrations, because it's not authorized in France?
So, there is no initiative to avoid causing such problems?
As a matter of fact, the problem lies in the defects of the related law in the United States and European countries. Their laws do not include guidelines to define when let's say a deviated priest burns the holy Quran, attacks the beliefs and identity of a large crowd of humans throughout the world, he must be accountable for his misdeeds, since as well as insulting the followers of the other religions, he will sore the relations between the countries and endangers peace throughout the world. Therefore, the West countries must adopt new new rules to counter such offenses.
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