EYE on the UN

Durban II PrepCom - The Undeniable Agenda (II)

Themes:
- Redefining antisemitism
- Defeating democratic rights, including freedom of expression
- Gearing up for another attack on "racist" Israel

April 23, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Speaker: Algeria
We have noted the implementation of an anti-Semite policy directed against the Arabs in particular and extended by association to all Muslims.

Speaker: Pakistan:
The most serious form of racism, is the democratic legitimization of racism and xenophobia. The OIC [Organization of Islamic Conference] is concerned that these trends have actually led to the defamation of religions, particularly Islam. When it is expressed in the form of defamation of religion, it takes cover behind the freedom of expression and opinion. And when it is expressed in the form of profiling, it takes the cover of the war against terrorism."

Speaker: Algeria
One of the goals of the United Nations Charter is the elimination of all forms of discrimination, particularly those that are the result of policies of aggression or domination of peoples or confiscation through occupation of the right to self-determination. It is for this purpose that the international community adopted the Durban Declaration and Program of Action as a roadmap. [...] The people still continue to suffer from enormous violations resulting from colonization aggravated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. This is the case concerning the conflict in the Middle East and Africa and in other regions of the world which continue to suffer from the afflictions caused by foreign occupation particularly concerning settlements. Such political socio-economic and cultural and structures, which have spawned racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances must be opposed wherever or whenever they occur.

Durban II PrepCom - The Undeniable Agenda (I)

Themes:
- A step backwards for human rights
- Gearing up for another assault on Israel and the United States
- Redefining antisemitism

April 22, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Speaker: Algeria
Excerpt: "Antisemitism targets the Arabs who [are] also Semites and by extension the whole Muslim community ... Anti-Arabism is also anti-Semitism."

Speaker: Syrian Arab Republic
Excerpt: "Attacks were escalated against religions particularly Islam. We would like to include also the implications of colonial occupation -- and occupation that has the boldness to say this is only to defend oneself. [...] The Review Conference put a blind eye on the large scale systematic violations of human rights, here once against I would say on ... racial grounds this would mean that the Review Conference would be stripped of every substantive content. It would become only a procedural ritual. What goes on right now are crimes that are perpetrated in the name of democracy. Whoever kills those innocent people are countries that advocate democracy and this also gives her a free hand to perpetrate massacres."

Other speakers:  Egypt, Sri Lanka, Doudou Diène (UN Special Rapporteur)

Durban II: The Farcical World of "Best Practices"

A reply to a long list of bigots using the UN platform to describe their anti-racist accomplishments.

April 25, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva


Speaker: Anne Bayefsky
Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust;
Senior Editor, EYE on the UN

"Objective 4 asks states and stakeholders to identify and share good practices achieved in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. The representative of Egypt has suggested that best practices include monitoring racist acts and phenomenon. But of course, such a generalization begs the question of what counts as a racist phenomenon. In that regard, the responses of states to the Durban Review conference questionnaire, designed to elicit evidence of best practices and evidence of implementation of anti-racist policies is enlightening. A sample of replies is as follows, and I quote:

The Iranian reply: 'Iran as a matter of policy and practice is opposed to any form of discrimination.'

The Syrian reply: 'Syria does not suffer from the problem of racial discrimination. The phenomenon of racial discrimination does not exist.'

The Senegalese reply: 'There are no racist actions known in the country.'

Algerian reply: 'Algeria has been at the forefront of the fight against all forms of racial discrimination.'

Every addict knows that the first step in the search for a cure is the admission of a problem. The failure by the governments at the center of the Durban II process to recognize racism, xenophobia and intolerance in all its forms, including the endemic anti-semitism and anti-zionism characteristic of the UN human rights system and the Durban II proceedings, does not bode well for the credibility or outcome of the Durban Conference."

Durban II: Anti-Zionism and the UN Lease on Life

Libya (aka the "Chairperson") and Syria attempting to stop discussion of modern antisemitism and discrimination against Israel.

April 24, 2008:UN Human Rights Council, Geneva


Speaker: Anne Bayefsky
Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust;
Senior Editor, EYE on the UN

"The majority of members of both the African and Asian regional groups on [the UN Human Rights] Council are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. And these two regional groups in turn have a majority of seats on the Council, thus giving the OIC the balance of power. [...] Council resolutions as a result of the OIC membership reflect not the conscience of the international community, but the predilections and particularities of the OIC. So the question is: is the council effective at dealing with racism and xenophobia? Well that depends on whether it is considered effective human rights protection to devote three-quarters of all condemnatory resolutions and decisions only to the Jewish state, while failing to condemn any rights violations by virtually every other state on the planet. Rank incompetence becomes anti-semitism when the singling out of the Jewish state is grossly disproportionate to the treatment for similar or more egregious acts by other states, a test which the council has passed in spades and is direct contradiction of the UN Charter's promise of equality for all nations large and small...."

Durban II - A Conference to Redefine "Antisemitism" (2)

The Libyan Chairperson, Najat Al-Hajjaji, silencing criticism of efforts to redefine antisemitism at Durban II.

April 23, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Speaker: Anne Bayefsky
Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust;
Senior Editor, EYE on the UN

Excerpt: "While considering various preparatory activities and deliberations toward the review conference, this committee has heard from a number of UN members purporting to claim an interest in the phenomenon of antisemitism. Such statements must be clearly understood in context. The context is their simultaneous redefinition of antisemitism as directed against Arabs and Muslims. In the words of the ambassador of Algeria yesterday, 'Antisemitism targets Arabs because they are also Semites. Anything less,' he said, 'would be a false dichotomy between Jews and Arabs.' The dichotomy about which he speaks might be described somewhat differently. Six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. This is antisemitism. It isn't about Arabs. It isn't about Muslims. And it is a highness form of xenophobia and intolerance that Jews would certainly have preferred not to have suffered contrary to the ... " [interrupted]

Durban II - A Conference to Redefine "Antisemitism" (3)

The Algerian representative (inadvertently) confirms the attempt to redefine antisemitism at Durban II.

April 23, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Speaker: Anne Bayefsky
Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust;
Senior Editor, EYE on the UN

Excerpt: "Objective 1 of the UN Durban review conference claims that interest in assessing contemporary manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. But the most egregious form of antisemitism emanates from the very body supervising the planning and holding of the Durban review conference itself, namely the UN Human Rights Council. Three-quarters of all the resolutions and decisions condemning human rights violations in a specific state by the UN Human Rights Council are directed at Israel, as compared to nothing on 99% of the remaining UN members. Four council sessions directed at Israel, compared to seven sessions on human rights affecting the other 6.6 billion people alive today. One agenda item on Israel. One for all other governments on Earth."

Durban II: 1st Day -- Preventing a Jewish NGO from Participating

The Preparatory Committee spent 3/4 of the first day debating accreditation of the Jewish NGO -- the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA).

Speakers: Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Palestinian Observer, Algeria, Egypt

April 21, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Durban II: The Nightmare Unfolds

Durban II - shaping up to be the nightmare anticipated.

April 22, 2008: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Speaker: Anne Bayefsky
Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust (NGO)

Excerpt #1: "The Durban declaration and program of action is not a universally agreed document, contrary to the claims of universality heard here. United States and Israel walked out of the conference as a matter of principle, and as a direct result of their strong objection and aversion to the antisemitism, xenophobia and intolerance that was manifested during the conference proceedings ..."

Excerpt #2:  "It is a matter of fact that the [Durban] declaration singles out Israel as a target of unique and discriminatory criticism, through its erroneous determination of who constitutes a victim of racism."

Excerpt #3:  "... yesterday's proceedings, and the statements just made by Algeria and Syria, have reconfirmed that Durban II will be a repetition of Durban I, and states generally interested in combating the scourge of racism and xenophobia ought to draw the appropriate lessons now for funding and participation."

UN Rights Council: Silencing Critics of Islamic Extremism (5)

The real UN double-standards -- harassing, intimidating and silencing critics of Islamic states, Islamic terrorism, and Islamic fundamentalism

March 26, 2008: UN Human Rights Council

UN Rights Council: Silencing Critics of Islamic Extremism (4)

The real UN double-standards -- harassing, intimidating and silencing critics of Islamic states, Islamic terrorism, and Islamic fundamentalism.

March 13, 2008: UN Human Rights Council