Driessen, MichaelHarris, PamelaTerracina, Theodora2024-09-262024-09-262021Terracina, Theodora. "The Ambiguity of Blasphemy Laws: The Protection of Religions and the Infringement of Human Rights Through the Analysis of Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt". BA Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2021.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14490/349Thesis (B.A. in Political Science, Minor in Communications and Legal Studies)--John Cabot University, Spring 2021.The purpose of this thesis is to understand how the implementation of blasphemy laws violates human rights principles of free speech and religion, utilized in a manner that opposes its intended aim. Beginning with a discussion of blasphemy, the different kinds, its debate, the subsequent effects of its utilization, and the international human rights framework encompasses blasphemy, this paper will analyze the manner in which rights to freedom of speech and religion are violated in the cases of blasphemy laws that specifically protect religions. Through an analysis of the three countries of Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt, each country will be presented with two cases of blasphemy and an examination of the legal structure and following international framework, using the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. While also providing quantitative data, placing each country within a measured context providing studies and reports of the severity of global blasphemy laws, the thesis will then proceed to drawing its conclusions from the relevant case studies. Finally, it finds blasphemy legislation aimed to specifically protect religion, along with other contextual factors such as democracy level and religious homogeneity, result in cases of religious violence or protest, either silencing opposition or discriminating against religious minorities, and ultimately abuse international human rights framework and values of freedom of speech, expression, and religion.vii, 66 pagesenAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Blasphemy (Islam)Human rightsThesis