UN Human Rights Council gives freedom of speech the finger

It’s as though the United Nations’ newest committee decided that they had too much credibility:

• U.N. Panel OKs Measure on Islam (Associated Press)

What’s all this, now?

Islamic countries pushed through a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday urging a global prohibition on the public defamation of religion

Well, by now you folks probably know how I feel about global prohibitions of just about anything. Needless to say, I don’t like this idea.

Human Rights Watch said the resolution could endanger the basic rights of individuals.

You know, when Human Rights Watch objects to something you call a “Human Rights Council”, there’s probably something wrong.

Fortunately, there’s some good news:

The council, which last year replaced the discredited U.N. Human Rights Commission, has no power beyond drawing international attention to rights issues and scrutiny of abuses in certain countries.

Now, I just love the idea of a committee without power… but if all they can do is piss off other human rights organizations — ones with credibility, even — why are they getting money?

Edit: This is, of course, the same Human Rights Council that isn’t bothered by Sudan’s behaviour in Darfur.  Go, UN, go!