Friday, September 14, 2007

UN racism expert brands defamation of religions threat to world peace

A UN expert on racism on Friday branded the defamation of religions - in particular critical portrayals of Islam in the West - a threat to world peace.

"Islamophobia today is the most serious form of religious defamation," "Islamophobia today is the most serious form of religious defamation," Doudou Diene told the UN Human Rights Council, which is currently holding a three-week session in Geneva.

Diene cited a caricature of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a Swedish newspaper, a protest by far-right groups in Belgium Tuesday against the "Islamization of Europe," and campaigns against the construction of mosques in Germany and Switzerland as evidence of an "ever increasing trend" toward anti-Islamic actions in Europe.
"We see the initiatives and activities of many groups and organizations which are working hard to bring about a war of civilizations," he said, adding that right-wing groups were trying to equate Islam with violence and terrorism.

Comment:Another example of media abuse and poor reporting. The headline suggests that you are going to read something about racism as it relates to Islam. Of course, Islam is not a race and thus it is incorrect, improper and misleading to suggest such linkage. However, the story is really bout "Islamophobia" and right wing individuals use of the term and this is linked directly to a threat to world peace.Aside from an enormous jump in logic and truth, this article only exacerbates the problem.Those who use the "I" term are only those who revert to name calling when we attempt to present data about international terror. Great tactic, name call and dismiss the accusation, divert attention away from the issue and invalidate the messenger.

The greatest danger to world peace are those world leaders, those religious leaders who have indicated an entire nation of people should be wiped out and those groups who have doctrines of hatred and have for years acted out that doctrine by murdering others simply because they were not of the same mindset and behavior. As soon as one dares criticize Islam or engages in free speech using academic inquiry and challenges Islam, people like Doudou Diene use their UN platform to denigrate the message and the messenger. well, no longer are we allowing such people to subvert the necessary discussion-we are bringing to the publics' attention another point of view. I ask my readers to read the piece that posts immediately after this one-said another way, it is located on top of this post.


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