Also from the resolution “Combating defamation of religions” passed by the U.N. General Assembly (see the post below):
Affirms that the Human Rights Council shall promote universal respect
for all religious and cultural values and address instances of intolerance,
discrimination and incitement of hatred against any community or adherents of any
religion …
“[U]niversal respect for all religious and cultural values”? Surely this is patently impossible, and in fact contradicted within the same resolution by a provision that says, “Urges States to ensure equal access to education for all, in law and in practice, including access to free primary education for all children, both girls and boys, and access for adults to lifelong learning and education based on respect for human rights, diversity and tolerance, without discrimination of any kind, and to refrain from any legal or other measures leading to racial segregation in access to schooling.” Holy war against nonbelievers is a religious value. Racial segregation is to some a religious value and to some a cultural value. Lesser education for girls than boys is to some a cultural value that is at least imbued with religious tradition.
True, they are bad religious and cultural values — but unless one redefines “religious and cultural values” to mean “good religious and cultural values,” they surely are religious and cultural values. So either the statement is patently impossible, or (if one does redefine the phrase the way I alluded to) tautological and thus lacking in meaning. But I suppose meaning is too much to expect in this context.