Research on Legal Regulation of Blasphemy in Islamic Countries: Based on a Comparative Law Analysis of Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

LU Jiayin

Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (8) : 154-170.

PDF(1786 KB)
PDF(1786 KB)
Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (8) : 154-170.

Research on Legal Regulation of Blasphemy in Islamic Countries: Based on a Comparative Law Analysis of Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

  • Lu Jiayin is an associate professor at School of Communication and Design, Sun Yat-sen University. Email: motivewater@163.com.
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Abstract

Muslim countries tend to limit the religious expression of blasphemy, which different from Christian countries in Europe and the United States that tend to protect the freedom of expression. In legislation, law generally strictly prohibits the speech of insulting the prophet of Islam, defiling religious doctrine and mockery of Muslim custom in Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; On the judiciary, there could be heavier criminal liabilities even death penalties for desecration of religious expression in the three Islamic countries. The roots of the strict legal regulation not only lie in their religious taboos, homogeneous religion and religion of law, but also lie in the development level and political democratization. Although it in line with the rules of international community, the practice of regulation of blasphemy is too harsh that is contrary to general trend of blasphemy decriminalization, but also often reduced to be a tool of suppressing criticism and dissenting opinions in Islamic countries.

Key words

Blasphemy / defamation of religion / Islamic countries / freedom of speech

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LU Jiayin. Research on Legal Regulation of Blasphemy in Islamic Countries: Based on a Comparative Law Analysis of Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia[J]. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2015, 37(8): 154-170

Funding

This paper is subsidized by the Program of Young Mainland Scholars of City University of Hong Kong.
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