Islamic Bloc Scores ‘Defamation of Religions’ Resolution at UN
By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com International Editor
Alongside a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly this week calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, the world body passed a raft of other human rights-related motions. One of them, introduced by Islamic nations, focuses on combating the “defamation of religions.”
Resolutions on the human rights situation in North Korea and Iran also passed, although dozens of countries — including human rights violators Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe — voted against the motions.
An annual resolution on “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” also passed by an overwhelming margin, with only the United States, Israel, and three small Pacific island nations voting “no.” There were four abstentions.
The motion on defamation of religions has been a priority for the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) since 9/11. It took on new impetus following a Danish newspaper’s publication in 2005 of cartoons satirizing Mohammed.
Introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, it passed on Tuesday by a 108-51 margin, with 25 abstentions. As with many of the other votes, the U.S. lined up with democracies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere against developing nations, including repressive regimes.
Although the resolution refers to defamation of “religions,” Islam is the only religion named in the text, which also takes a swipe at counter-terrorism security measures.
It expresses alarm about “discrimination” and “laws that stigmatize groups of people belonging to certain religions and faiths under a variety of pretexts relating to security and illegal immigration.”
Muslim minorities are subjected to “ethnic and religious profiling … in the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September 2001,” it says.
The resolution decries “the negative projection of Islam in the media” and voices “deep concern that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism.”
OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu earlier this month addressed an international conference on “Islamophobia,” held in Turkey, and told the gathering that freedom of expression was being used as a cover in the West to promote anti-Islam sentiment.
The OIC soon will release its first-ever annual report on “Islamophobia.”
‘Flawed and divisive’
On a number of the General Assembly resolutions passed Tuesday, the U.S. stood in the minority, including one dealing with practices that contribute to “fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,” and another on a report on preparations by the U.N.’s Human Rights Council for a major conference on racism, scheduled for 2009.
The international conference is intended to review progress achieved on a program of action adopted at an earlier racism conference, held in Durban, South Africa in 2001.
The Durban event was marred by controversy, with attempts spearheaded by Arab and Muslim states to equate Zionism with racism. The U.S. government sent a low-level delegation and then recalled it midway in protest against the attacks on Israel.
On Tuesday, only the U.S., Israel and the Marshall Islands voted against the resolution on preparations for the Durban review conference.
In an earlier explanation of vote, American envoy Grover Joseph Rees told member-states that although the U.S. supported the stated objectives of Durban gathering, “the outcomes of the conference were deeply flawed and divisive.”
“The resolution now before us endorses that flawed outcome and is therefore itself seriously problematic,” he said.
Rees said the Human Rights Council should be concentrating on the role for which it was created – “addressing human rights situations around the world, particularly emerging situations.”
At the same time, countries should be focusing on implementing existing commitments, rather than on following-up “a flawed instrument” or creating of new ones.
Specifically, he said, states should be ratify and effectively implement the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Countries that have not ratified the 1965 treaty include Burma, North Korea, Malaysia, Angola, Singapore and a number of small Pacific island nations.
Teshuvah: Thanks for that link. See my comment I’ve just posted on it.
Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen explains the “Real Story of Xmas and New Years” here: http://audio.simpletoremember.com/misc/Real-Story-of-X-mas-and-New-Years-b.mp3
Tamar Yonah joins the chorus: Christmas and Paganism.
I didn’t detect one note of denigration in either piece. In the Bible G-d punished Jews for going after strange gods and for Baal worship. Now these Jews are exhorting deceived Christians to repent of the same thing. Interesting, aye?
Ronhume: Check out this thread and comments: https://www.israpundit.org/2007/?p=6742
Also see the links in Yamit’s Comment #7 here.
Well a lot of people are in trouble, literally millions. Many authors (Dave Hunt, Hal Lindsay etc) of books are in serious trouble and the UN would have to ban these books. The end of freedom of speech!
I unashamed admit that I regularly speak out not only against Islam but the Pope and his satanic religion, Roman Catholicism, which is NOT Christian as it is not based on the Bible but manmade ideologies the same as many other cults like JW’s, Mormon’s, Xtian Science to name a few.
The prophet Isaiah states;
”Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. Woe to those seeing themselves as wise, eteeming themselves as clever.” Isaiah 5:20-21 (CJB)
What would the UN say to Messiah Yeshua who in no uncertain terms addressed the religious rulers (Pharisees and Sadducees) of His day, calling them;
“a brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34) and stating “You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar—indeed, the inventor of the lie! But as for me, because I tell the truth you do not believe me!” John 8:44-45 (CJB).
How can we claim to love people and care about them unless we are prepared to expose evil and the works of Satan? Paul’s advice is “expose them” under the light of the glorious gospel of Messiah.
“Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead EXPOSE THEM; for it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret. But everything EXPOSED to to the light is revealed clearly for what it is, since anything revealed is a light. This is why it says,
‘Get up sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you!’” Ephesians 5:11-14 (CJB)
Teshuvah you say:
“The UN is instrumental in bringing in the New World Order”;
I have no doubt that you are right about that.
All scripture quoted is taken from the Complete Jewish Bible (Translation by David H Stern)
Good old Micronesia, great beaches, fish and lovely girls I built a grass hut on the beach front a few years ago as my secret place to escape to. Nobody wants Micronesia. It takes a week to find the place but its worth it when you do!
At least it’s not against the law to defame the UN… yet.
The UN is instrumental in bringing in the New World Order which the Bushes and Clintons want, therefore, the US won’t close down the UN in NY because they invited it and cater to it.
I think its about time that the US close down the UN in New York and suggest that maybe it should move to, say, Riyahd or Abu Dhabi, they can at least afford it.
Anyway, who really cares about UN General Assembly resolutions except, maybe, Israel who always feels that it is being picked upon by the ISLAMIC bloc. ISLAMOFACISTS must really be feeling the pinch if they have to beg for protection from an ineffectual United Nations resolution.
I suppose I now have to go into hiding for breaking the resolution….maybe I’ll apply for refugee status from UNRWA.
Since Islam is used to justify and promote terrorism and jihad… not to mention its treatment of religious minorities and women as second class citizens, this means its most morally repugnant characteristics are shielded from criticism. Considering the UN is dominated by states that brutally repress their own people, exalting one more totalitarian ideology is just another day’s work at the world body.
On the other hand, since defamation of other religions is a central doctrine and activity within Islam, perhaps a few countries could use this resolution as a legal source or political excuse for having Islam banned altogether for defamation of religion? At face value this text ought to cause every mosq on earth to be shut down.