RIGHTS: Muslim Concessions Bring Breakthrough on Racism Text
And now, we wait for President Ahmedinejad's opening speech come Monday ~~t
Ibrahim Salama, an expert in the office of the high commissioner, said "the two main stumbling blocks initially when this process started were the Middle East and the defamation of religions."
The problem of the Middle East was indirectly avoided by the first paragraph of the draft declaration, which reaffirms the Durban declaration and programme of action, he said.
The Durban outcome document had dedicated a special paragraph to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling for an end to the violence, the prompt renewal of talks, respect for international humanitarian law and human rights, and respect for the right to self-determination.
With regard to the question of defamation of religion, Salama said the OIC "was very constructive" to agree to act on the basis of the concept of incitement to religious hatred.
Pakistan, which spoke in the name of the OIC, said the group had made "important sacrifices" to contribute to the elimination of racial discrimination.
After reading the draft declaration, civil society sources wondered whether the concessions made by Muslim countries would suffice to do away with the criticism voiced by the United States, which was absent from the deliberations on the draft declaration and had refused, along with Israel, to recognise the resolutions adopted in Durban in 2001.
Ibrahim Salama, an expert in the office of the high commissioner, said "the two main stumbling blocks initially when this process started were the Middle East and the defamation of religions."
The problem of the Middle East was indirectly avoided by the first paragraph of the draft declaration, which reaffirms the Durban declaration and programme of action, he said.
The Durban outcome document had dedicated a special paragraph to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling for an end to the violence, the prompt renewal of talks, respect for international humanitarian law and human rights, and respect for the right to self-determination.
With regard to the question of defamation of religion, Salama said the OIC "was very constructive" to agree to act on the basis of the concept of incitement to religious hatred.
Pakistan, which spoke in the name of the OIC, said the group had made "important sacrifices" to contribute to the elimination of racial discrimination.
After reading the draft declaration, civil society sources wondered whether the concessions made by Muslim countries would suffice to do away with the criticism voiced by the United States, which was absent from the deliberations on the draft declaration and had refused, along with Israel, to recognise the resolutions adopted in Durban in 2001.
posted by temporal at 4/19/2009
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