Geneva: In response to Qur'an burnings in Europe, the UN's top human rights body overwhelmingly approved a resolution urging nations to do more to combat religious hatred, over the objections of Western nations that feared more stringent government measures might trample on freedom of speech.

On Wednesday, the Human Rights Council's vast chamber erupted in cheers following the 28-12 vote, with seven abstentions, on a resolution introduced by Pakistan and Palestine and supported by many developing nations in Africa, as well as China and India, and Middle Eastern nations.

The resolution, which was passed in response to recent Qur'an burnings in some areas of Europe, urges nations to take action to "prevent and prosecute acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence."

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Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Khalil Hashmi, insisted following the vote that the proposal "does not seek to curtail the right to free speech," but rather attempts to strike a "prudent balance" between it and "special duties and responsibilities."

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Hashmi stated that some of the opposition in the room stemmed from their refusal to denounce the open profanation of the Holy Qur'an or any other sacred text. It was the least the council could have expected from them, but they lack the political, legal, and moral courage to denounce this act.

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However, the US ambassador to the UN, Michele Taylor, had earlier stated that the country "strongly condemns the acts that have precipitated today's discussion, including desecration of the Holy Qur'an on June 28"—a reference to an incident in Sweden last month that sparked outrage in some Muslim communities.