From protecting freedom to protecting religion

In his column yesterday in the Indie Johann Hari picks up a story about the way that the remit of the UN special rapporteur on human rights has had his job description changed, under pressure from Islamic countries, Pakistan in particular - a re-emphasis which, Hari notes, changes the role from " condemning the people who wanted to murder Salman Rushdie, [to] condemning Salman Rushdie himself".

These are worrying developments in the run up to Durban II, the United Nations conference on racism and xenophobia, which will (confusingly) be in Geneva in April. The Organsiation of Islamic States are gearing up to try and pass resolutions aimed at limiting the right to criticise religion there. We have veteran UN watcher Ian Williams writing this up for March's New Humanist. Stay tuned.