Son of Hamas’ New Message to the United Nations

Oct 29, 2023 | Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas’ leader, Hassan Yousef, delivers a powerful new message to the United Nations about their absurd hostility to Israel.

UN Urged to Intervene after Qur’an Burnings in Sweden and Denmark

THE GUARDIAN: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation representing 57 states calls for appointment of special rapporteur on Islamophobia

People hold copies of the Qur’an during a protest outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has strongly condemned recent Qur’an burnings in Sweden and Denmark as “despicable acts of aggression” and called on intervention by the United Nations amid a growing diplomatic crisis.

A special session of the body of foreign ministers met virtually on Monday, on the same day as a further protest involving the desecration of the Muslim holy book took place outside the Swedish parliament.

In a 35-point action plan, the OIC, which represents 57 states, called on the UN secretary general to appoint a special rapporteur on combating Islamophobia and urged all governments to fully implement existing law or adopt new legislation if needed, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. » | M iranda Bryant in Stockholm | Tuesday, August 1, 2023

This is nonsense! There is clearly a linguistic misunderstanding here. A phobia is not a HATRED of, but a FEAR of something. The word derives from the Greek Φόβος which itself derives from the mythological Greek god Phobos, who had a special talent to be able to inspire fear and panic in others. How can one legislate against people’s fears? It simply CANNOT be done. No more than any government or authority can introduce legislation to make people love something or somebody.

It should be obvious to all by now that Islamophobia is a problem, and a growing one; but tackling it lies not in Western legislation; rather, the solution lies in changing legislation in Islamic countries.

Westerners have every reason to be fearful of Islam and its growth here in Western countries. They see on their TV screens, on the Internet, and they read in their newspapers the atrocious treatment that Islamic governments mete out to their citizens for relatively trivial misdemeanours, and often to people who, in our eyes, commit no crime whatsoever.

If the UN wants to eliminate Islamophobia—and I am certain that they do (and should)—the Organisation needs to start piling pressure on countries governed by Islamic law—Shar’iah law—not on Western governments. The UN needs to work towards Islamic governments respecting UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS. Most of them do not respect human rights. There are so many examples that could be cited; but here are just a few: the brutal treatment in Iran of women not wearing, or wishing to wear, the hijab; people being put to death in many Muslim-majority countries simply for being homosexual, a nature and predisposition most gays can do absolutely NOTHING about – they are simply born with this proclivity; and so many Muslims are jailed (and brutally treated whilst incarcerated) as ‘political prisoners simply for having different viewpoints than the government’s. Need I go on?

Then there is the problem with Islam itself. It is the indisputable belief of all devout Muslims that Islam will one day conquer the whole world. In their view, the whole wide world belongs to Allah; so, it must be Islamized for Him. The sooner, the better. Well-informed Westerners know this, so is there any wonder that Islamophobia is growing here in the Western world?

If the UN, if Islamic governments, and if Muslims want to combat this growing problem, they need to look East not West! Their behaviour needs to be modified, their laws need to be changed or modified, so that our fears can be eradicated. Ergo, the solution to this thorny problem lies not in the Occident, but in the Orient. – © Mark Alexander

UN Human Rights Chief Says UK Should Rethink Plans to Deport Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Volker Türk critical of scheme he considers ethically problematic and believes government must look again at how to deal with people-smuggling gangs and the treatment of refugees

‘You cannot offshore your responsibilities to another state in the way envisaged [by the UK government].’ Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
The new UN human rights chief has urged the British government to reconsider its plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, warning that in the past similar “offshoring” schemes had led to “deeply inhuman” treatment of refugees.

In his first public comments on the controversy since taking office two months ago, Volker Türk rejected prime minister Rishi Sunak’s description of the £140m deal as “common sense”, saying that as well as being legally and ethically problematic it was also “very costly” and unlikely to work.

“You cannot offshore your responsibilities to another state in the way that is envisaged [by the UK government],” Türk told the Guardian. “It does raise very serious concerns, both from an international human rights and international refugee law perspective.” » | Lizzy Davies | Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Biden Condemns Russian Escalation of Ukraine War | DW News

US President Joe Biden delivered a firm rebuke of Russia's "brutal, needless war" in Ukraine during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

He said Moscow "shamelessly violated" the UN charter with the invasion.

"If nations can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences then we put at risk everything this institution stands for," he said.

Biden's address to the UN comes only hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered reservists to report for duty to fight the war in Ukraine.

Moscow Warns Ukraine May ‘Destroy Itself’ as Russia and US Clash at UN

THE GUARDIAN: At a UNSC meeting, Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya claimed Ukraine’s violation of the Minsk pact could end in ‘worst way’

United Nations security council hold a meeting on the situation between Ukraine and Russia at UN headquarters in New York. Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPA
Ukraine will be responsible for its own destruction if it undermines existing peace agreements, a senior Russian diplomat has warned at a UN security council debate on the crisis.

Vasily Nebenzya on Monday derided western claims of a planned Russian attack as “hysterics” and blamed Ukraine for not abiding by the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015, which were supposed to end the conflict between the Kyiv government and the Russian-backed separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Nebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative at the UN, also blamed western nations for “actively pumping Ukraine full of weapons” which he said would be used against civilians in the east of the country and were “in violation of the Minsk agreements”.

He ended his address to the security council with a warning.

“If our western partners push Kyiv to sabotage the Minsk agreements, something that Ukraine is ... willingly doing, then that might end in the absolute worst way for Ukraine,” Nebenzya said. “And not because somebody has destroyed it, but because it would have destroyed itself and Russia has absolutely nothing to do with this.” » | Julian Borger in Washington and Lorenzo Tondo in Rome | Monday, January 31, 2022

READ ALSO:

Unlike Putin’s Russia, the west doesn’t know what it wants in eastern Europe: The west must stop dithering and reaffirm that all European states – including Ukraine – should be independent and free »

Analysis: UN Rapporteur Criticises Saudi’s Khashoggi Murder Probe

Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, has criticised the Saudi Arabian investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. Callamard, who presented her report into the killing on Wednesday, said the investigation failed to examine who may have ordered the killing, adding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, and other senior officials should be investigated over the murder. "The investigation carried out by the Saudi authorities has failed to address the chain of command," she told the UN Human Rights Council.

'Joints Will Be Separated': Grim New Details of Khashoggi Murder

Last week the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman ordered the case on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi closed. But a new UN report has unearthed gruesome details based on an audio recording. Al Jazeera's Jamal ElShayyal looks at the sequence of events leading up to his death.

UN Urges Investigation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS)

A scathing report by the United Nations on the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi cites “credible evidence” as grounds for further investigation into the role that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had in the murder. RT America’s Sayeh Tavangar has more on the report.

Saudi Slams UN Report on Khashoggi Killing as 'Unfounded'

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir says the UN report by Agnes Callamard "contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility”. Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara strongly endorses UN report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Al Jazeera's correspondents Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Istanbul, James Bays from United Nations, and Mike Hanna from Washington, DC.

UN: Saudi Arabia Must Accept Responsibility for Khashoggi Murder

UN extrajudicial executions investigator Agnes Callamard on Wednesday released her report into the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, she said the dismemberment of Khashoggi was discussed before his killing on October 2, and added that it was important to insist the execution was a killing by the Saudi Arabian state. Callamard also said Riyadh should take steps to ensure such abuse of diplomatic privileges to commit an international crime was not repeated.

Khashoggi Killing: 'Credible Evidence' Linking MBS to Murder – UN

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be investigated over killing of journalist Khashoggi, UN expert concludes. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, should be investigated over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a United Nations rights expert has concluded, citing "credible evidence". UN extrajudicial executions investigator, Agnes Callamard, released her report on the killing of Khashoggi on Wednesday. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports live from the UN.


THE GUARDIAN: 'Credible evidence' Saudi crown prince liable for Khashoggi killing – UN report » | Nick Hopkins and Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Wednesday, June 19, 2019

UN Special Rapporteur Calls for Julian Assange to Be Freed, Citing “Psychological Torture”

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture is warning that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is suffering from the effects of “psychological torture” due to his ongoing detention and threats of possible extradition to the United States. The UN expert, Nils Melzer, also warned that Assange would likely face a “politicized show trial” if he were to be extradited to the United States. Melzer writes, “In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time.”

Julian Assange is currently serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail in 2012 at London’s Belmarsh Prison, after he was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorean Embassy by British police last month. Last week, the US Justice Department announced it was charging Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act for his role in publishing US classified military and diplomatic documents exposing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Assange, who had already been charged on one count of hacking a government computer, now faces up to 170 additional years in prison under the new charges—10 years for each count of violating the Espionage Act. Assange was due to appear by video link before a magistrates’ court on Thursday but failed to appear, reportedly due to health problems. We speak with UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer.

UK's Brexit Obsession Will Diminish Country, Says UN Poverty Expert

THE GUARDIAN: Britain ‘screwing itself royally for the future’, warns human rights lawyer Philip Alston

The United Nations global poverty expert, Philip Alston, has warned that Britain’s preoccupation with Brexit will leave the country severely diminished whether or not it leaves the EU because too little is being done to alter policies driving people deeper into poverty.

The eminent New York-based human rights lawyer, who is in the final year of his term as the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, said on Tuesday: “You are really screwing yourselves royally for the future by producing a substandard workforce and children that are malnourished.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Amal Clooney Calls Out Trump Administration at the UN | NowThis

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney called out the Trump administration for undermining efforts to help women raped during war, warning that it's their 'chance to stand on the right side of history.’

In the latest current events news on the Trump administration, Amal Clooney, human rights lawyer and wife of George Clooney, recently spoke at the United Nations in front of the UN Security Council about some of the most dire global issues: sexual violence, sex slavery, and other related war crimes. In the Amal Clooney speech, she directly called out the President Trump administration for impeding the UN's efforts to help women hurt by the Islamic State and other destructive regimes. The Donald Trump White House has been persistent over reproductive rights, but this Amal Clooney UN speech, Clooney showed she wasn't afraid.

UN Condemns Saudi Executions, US Barely Reacts

Amnesty International and members of the US Congress are expressing outrage over the mass execution of 37 prisoners in Saudi Arabia. While their trials failed to meet international standards of fairness and their deaths have drawn worldwide rebuke, the US State Department has refused to condemn them. RT America’s Dan Cohen reports for News.Views.Hughes.

Pence Asks UN to Recognize Guaidó in Venezuela

At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City, US Vice President Mike Pence called on the UN to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as president and revoke the credentials of Venezuela’s ambassador. RT’s Dan Cohen has more.

UN Joins Clooney in Decrying 'Inhuman' Brunei Anti-gay Law

THE GUARDIAN: Penal code that imposes death by stoning for gay sex is serious setback for rights, says commissioner

The United Nations has condemned “cruel and inhuman” laws set to take effect in Brunei this week that impose death by stoning for gay sex and adultery, and amputations for theft.

“I appeal to the government to stop the entry into force of this draconian new penal code, which would mark a serious setback for human rights protections for the people of Brunei if implemented,” the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, said in a statement.

Brunei, an absolute monarchy ruled for 51 years by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has said it will implement the code starting on Wednesday.

Brunei first announced the measures in 2013, but their implementation has been delayed in the face of opposition by rights groups, and as officials worked out the practical details.

The law stipulates the death penalty for a number of offences, including rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and insulting or defaming the prophet Muhammad.

It also introduces public flogging as punishment for abortion as well as amputation for theft, and criminalises exposing Muslim children to the beliefs and practices of any religion besides Islam. » | Agence France-Presse in Geneva | Monday, April 1, 2019

UN: Khashoggi Was Victim of 'Extrajudicial Execution' l Al Jazeera English

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was the victim of an 'extrajudicial execution'. That's the assessment of Agnes Callamard, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Summary or Arbitrary Killings. She's pointing the finger directly at the top level of the Saudi leadership. Faisal Fahad, the Saudi representative on the UN committee, said Callamard had overstepped her remit with her comments. "Kindly do not give us any personal opinions in this official meeting," he said. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from New York.

Don Lemon Laughs Off Trump's Ivanka Comment

CNN's Don Lemon responds to President Trump's claim that his daughter Ivanka would make a "dynamite ambassador" to the United Nations following Ambassador Nikki Haley's resignation.

What Is behind US Decision to Abandon UN Human Rights Council? | Inside Story

The United States has announced it's leaving the UN Human Rights Council. It calls the 47-member body 'hypocritical' and 'self-serving'. The decision follows months of threats by President Donald Trump.

The United States has long had a conflicting relationship with the UNHRC and says it has to be reformed. President Trump has recently faced widespread, and vociferous condemnation for his zero tolerance immigration policy, that's separating children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border.

So, how will this decision impact the global fight to protect human rights? And will this further isolate the U.S. on the world Stage?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie | Guests: Guillaume Charron - Director of the global advisory group, Independent Diplomat; Rosa Freedman - Professor of Law and Global Development, University of Reading; Mohammed Cherkaoui - Professor of Conflict Resolution at George Mason University