Below here are a collection of articles related to the 2006-2009 Defamation Bill which was modified by Dermot Ahern TD to include a criminalisation for Blasphemy. This was presented by the Fianna Fáil and Green parties as a constitutional imperative. Ireland’s Blasphemy criminalisation was enacted on January the first 2010.
Since time of this enactment neither current nor previous government has approached the issue of a referendum to remove the offense of blasphemy from the Irish constitution…..
Urgent Need for Irish Constitutional Referendum on Blasphemy
The Executive Committee of Irish PEN, the Irish Centre for PEN International, is campaigning for a constitutional referendum to be held on blasphemy in the Republic of Ireland by the end of 2011… (click here to read the entire PEN statement)
For more information please click on the following links:
| 1. Faith and Free Speech: Defamation of Religions and Freedom of Expression |
| September 16, 2010 | U. N. Building | GenevaUnited Nations side panel discussion with Dr. Agnes Callamard, Professor Tariq Ramadan, Budhy M. Rahman; moderated by John Ralston Saul |
2. International Pen: Writers Urge U.N. to Abandon Efforts to Prohibit Defamation of Religions, Concentrate Instead on Respect-Building Initiatives
3. Amending the Law on Blasphemous Libel Speech by Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform at the Dail Committee on Justice, Equality Defence and Women’s Rights Wednesday, 20th May, 2009
4. Ireland voted against the UN resolution in 2009; see Annex IX here: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/gashc3966.doc.htm
5. OSCE argues against blasphemy law: Europe’s top security and human rights watchdog has urged Ireland not to preserve blasphemous libel as a crime. http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0519/defamation.html
6. WiPC 2008 Resolution: Defamation of religions The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN, meeting at its 74th Congress in Bogota, Colombia, 17-22 September 2008
7. Art 19 , OSCE. publ 2006: “We welcome the abolition of the common law offences of blasphemous, obscene and seditious libel in section 34 of the Defamation Bill…
Well done to Irish PEN for spearheading this campaign. How easy it is to become complacent in Ireland now, as we are urged to take on more and more guilt for the sins of the recent past, rather than to stand up and shout and stamp our feet. I feel that in supporting this campaign I am linking arms with a long history of Irish writers who have suffered persecution for their views. As a writer who has often been at the receiving end of extreme moral spite for my own writing on religion and its social powers, I rejoice to think that there are friends and colleagues who are challenging bad laws in the interest of freedom of the arts and human rights.
Thank you for your initiative on this this. Please add my support to your campaign.
I fully support Irish PEN’s campaign to abolish the offence of blasphemy.
Thank you for initiative and energy devoted to this very necessary campaign which has my full support.
I nearly said “God bless you”!
I also fully support Pens campaign to abolish the offence of blasphemy
I fully support this PEN initiative – do you have a petition set up? If not, it may be a good idea – strength in numbers.
Why are the legions screaming about Pussy Riot’s dilemma so silent on this issue?