Hindus and Jews call for change in blasphemy laws
‘Hinduism and Judaism are simply cults in the eyes of Maltese’
Two Hindu and Jewish leaders from the US have called on the EU and the UN to ask Malta to treat all religions equally when it comes to blasphemy laws.
In a statement they pointed out that in Malta, a person found guilty of vilifying the Roman Catholic religion may be imprisoned for up to six months but the same crime only carried a maximum of three months if committed against another religion.
They argued that in the Criminal Code’s Articles 163 and 164, drawn up in 1933, other religions are described as “any cult tolerated by law”.
Hindu leader Rajan Zed, together with prominent Jewish leader Jonathon Freirich (both from Nevada, US) said the wording of the law implied that other religions, even major ones like Hinduism and Judaism, were simply “cults” in the eyes of the Maltese.
“It is perturbing to note that an EU country, which prides itself on its human rights initiatives, apparently treats crimes against religious sentiment of other religions and denominations as less serious than against majority religion,” they said in a joint statement all the way from Nevada.
There is no particular reason why these two clerics from Nevada have taken an interest in the situation other than the fact that it was brought to their attention by Hindu devotees in Malta.
“We just believe religions should be treated equally. A religion that was set up thousands of years ago, and even before Roman Catholicism, cannot be called a cult,” he said.
The two religious leaders also urged the EU and the UN to ask Malta to replace the subject of religion with “comparative religion” in its primary and secondary schools. This would enable students to learn about the basics of all major world religions, “including the viewpoint of non-believers”.
“This would make them well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow,” they said, adding that it was also important for business to know the beliefs of “others” in a global community.
“Students should have knowledge of the entire society to become full participants in the European community,” they said, pointing out that education leads to better understanding of the convictions of others and to tolerance.