US pulls out of Durban II
A so-called “racism conference” due to take place in Geneva in April has been boycotted by the USA because the “outcome document” upon which it is based includes a call to ban “defamation of religion” and focuses on human-rights abuses by Israel while ignoring those of other countries.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has been lobbying for years to get an anti-defamation of religion motion passed, largely as a means to outlaw criticism of the human-rights abusing Islamic governments which support it.
Israel and Canada have already announced that they would boycott Duban II. The withdrawal of the USA could lead some European nations to follow suit, most notably the UK, Holland, and Denmark.
See Lou Dobbs and Christopher Hitchens talk about this on CNN:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji-qdC5zYd4[/youtube]
UPDATE: (3 March) More Hitchens on the subject. Read it all. He is right:
See where the language of Paragraph 10 of the resolution is taking us. Having briefly offered lip service to the rights of free expression, it goes on to say that “the exercise of these rights carries with it special duties and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to limitations as are provided for by law and are necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, protection of national security or of public order, public health or morals and respect for religions and beliefs.” The thought buried in this awful, wooden prose is as ugly as the language in which it is expressed: Watch what you say, because our declared intention is to criminalize opinions that differ with the one true faith. Let nobody say that they have not been warned.
This is a tricky one. Other sources are citing the reason as being solely because the Yanks feel that Israel is being criticised, and zionism is being unfairly associated with racism. Because Israel’s loudest critics are also the ones touting blasphemy/defamation laws, I fear the latter is being overlooked and will slip in by the back door unnoticed, maybe even with the unwitting support of anti-zionists in the West.
The demonisation of Israel and protection of islamic states from any criticism of their human rights agenda is part and parcel of a single agenda. The record of the UN Human Rights Council, condemned by successive Secretaries General, demonstrates the deviant agenda being pursued by OIC member states and their allies. As Neil Hoskins implies, the unholy alliance between anti-zionists, clerical fascists and repressive regimes will make Durban II a rerun of the fiesta of antisemitism and whitewashing oppression that was its predecessor.
I agree this is a difficult one and one that I am not sure will or can be resolved!
Christopher, says we have blasphemy laws in UK. These were repelled in 2008.
We do have the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_and_Religious_Hatred_Act_2006 but this is hardly the same.
Mr Hitchens, when representing old blighty abroad, please do not misrepresent are laws.
Thanks,
Bruce
media watch watch you are not alone on this. I hate the media is on it too.
http://www.ihatethemedia.com/un-anti-blasphemy-resolution-restricts-free-speech-promotes-islam
[…] Media Watch has a nice summary of the isssue and the response of several western countries (including Canada – Yea!): A so-called “racism conference†due to take place in Geneva in April has been boycotted by the USA because the “outcome document†upon which it is based includes a call to ban “defamation of religion†and focuses on human-rights abuses by Israel while ignoring those of other countries. […]