Contact: Craig McDonald, Christian Freedom International, 800-323-2273

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., Oct. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- Christian Freedom International (CFI), a Michigan-based organization that assists persecuted Christians around the world, is condemning the Defamation of Religions Resolution that will be proposed at the UN General Assembly in New York City late this fall.

The resolution, which will criminalize any words or actions determined to be adverse to a particular religion, is being proposed by the Organization of Islamic Conference, an inter-governmental body comprised of 57 states with significantly Muslim populations. The resolution has taken various forms that have been proposed since 1999, but if passed this year, it will provide international legality for any national law punishing blasphemy or any other criticism of a religion.

Although "defamation of religion" is a concept that would ideally protect religious freedom on the broadest level, the resolution has appeared to focus mainly on the protection of Islam. CFI believes that if the resolution is passed, it would give repressive governments and extremist groups the liberty to punish anything deemed offensive to their particular religion, and will only advance the persecution of religious minorities, especially Christians.

Under existing "blasphemy" laws in Muslim-majority nations, many people are routinely arrested and imprisoned for the crimes of insulting or denigrating Islam. This past January, a Christian shopkeeper in Pakistan was sentenced to life in prison and fined $1,000 for allegedly desecrating the Quran, and a college professor in India had his hand severed as a result of insulting the prophet Mohammed on an exam questionnaire last May.

CFI, a ministry that works actively on behalf of persecuted Christians in repressive countries like Burma, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, urges all citizens to contact members of Congress and encourage them to vote against the Defamation of Religions Resolution at the UN General Assembly this year.

To learn more information about CFI's work and persecution around the world, visit www.christianfreedom.org.