Similarly, Leonard Leo, chair of the U.S. Center for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), noted how blasphemy laws are often the cause, not the cure, of sectarian violence and intolerance.
In most predominantly Muslim countries with such laws, prohibitions against blasphemy, heresy, and deviance lead to many cases in which members of the majority persecute religious minorities and unorthodox sects. Religious minorities are frequently victims of discrimination, harassment, and violence.