Whether we like it or not, Durban II is coming. Recall that Durban I was a gigantic hate-fest dominated by anti-western and anti-semitic representatives. And sadly things look as if they will be even worse in this next round.
From Joel Brinkley (via AlanP):
I confess I had forgotten about the U.N. World Conference against Racism, in Durban, South Africa, on Sept. 8, 2001. It turned so quickly into a racist, anti-Semitic hate-fest that Secretary of State Colin Powell stood up and walked out.
The indignant commentary was just getting started when the Sept. 11 attacks swept the coverage away. The event was largely forgotten.
I bring it up now because they’re at it again. The United Nations has scheduled a sequel, dubbed Durban II, to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, next spring. (This time, Durban’s city fathers refused to host it.) And if the 2001 event proved to be an embarrassment for the United Nations and the world, the next one promises to be a shameful travesty that will light up cable news, late-night TV talk shows and multi-media blogs for weeks.
Worse, the event is certain to cleave an even deeper divide between the Arab states and the rest of the world. It’s pre-ordained. Consider what happened just a few days ago, as reported by the Web site Eye on the UN.
The conference’s planning chairman invited Iran to join his inner circle — the “friends of the chair” — to add Iranian wisdom to the topics at hand: preventing racism and promoting human rights.
Why Iran? Well, the answer will almost certainly leave you asking: What were they thinking?
The planning-committee chairman is none other than Libya. The rapporteur ... Cuba. And the new vice-chair, Iran.
Several Western states are unranked members. But the leaders and their allies are running roughshod over everyone else. These countries have a clear agenda: to batter Israel and the United States and ram through proclamations decrying insults to Islam.
The European Union proposed to discuss freedom of expression. Speaking for the leadership, Egypt declared that freedom of expression is “political in nature and not grounded in objectivity.” As a result, discussion of the subject is “not acceptable.” The EU gave up. ...
The United Nations’ much-maligned Humans Right Council is organizing Durban II, so it’s small wonder that the planning is proceeding as it has. In a recent council session, a speaker asked to bring up a particularly egregious human rights problem: genital mutilation of women. Egypt objected mightily, demanding: “We will not discuss issues related to Sharia law; this will not happen.” He thundered on, joined by a colleague from Pakistan, until the item was dropped.
Remind me why any countries that care about western freedoms continue to tolerate this outrageous challenge to our freedoms.
I'm very glad that the Canadian government has refused to participate.
Posted by: cba | August 15, 2008 at 10:09 PM