Wu Challenges Obama and McCain to Stand Up for Religious Freedom

Jul 17, 2008

Angela C. Wu, international law director at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, today (July 17, 2008) challenged U.S. presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain to support legislation currently before Congress that is designed to protect Americans from defamation judgments of foreign courts that violate the U.S. Constitution. The legislation would protect individuals who are charged with what are essentially blasphemy laws that protect religions from so-called defamation.

"Freedom of religion and the freedom to speak openly about ideas and beliefs here and abroad should be a high priority for the next president of the United States," said Ms. Wu, speaking before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus' conference on "Religious Freedom in a Post-9-11 World. "I call on Sens. Obama and McCain to take a stand for a traditional American understanding of free speech rights and sponsor this legislation in the Senate," she said.

Ms. Wu said if "defamation of religions" resolutions currently before the United Nations went into effect in member states, any religious speech another group or individual found "offensive" could be criminalized. the rest