THE STAR ONLINE: GENEVA - European countries signalled on Wednesday that they feared the universal right of free speech would be at risk if a United Nations conference on racism next month issues a call for a ban on "defamation of religion".
They also warned in speeches to the U.N.'s Human Rights Council that they could not accept any pillorying of Israel as "racist" nor any promotion of anti-Semitism at the Geneva gathering from April 20-24.
"The freedom of expression must be the cornerstone of our fight against racism," Sweden's delegate Frank Belfrage said. Britain's Human Rights Minister Mark Malloch Brown said limiting free speech would undermine tolerance.
Similar views have been expressed in the Council this week by Australia, France, Switzerland, Poland, Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic speaking for the 27-nation European Union, among others.
The issues of freedom of speech and anti-Semitism have been set by Western countries, including the United States, as among their "red lines" for participation in the gathering, dubbed Durban II.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who will preside over the conference, has sought to reassure doubters, arguing fears of anti-Semitic outbursts are unfounded.
But diplomats say memories of street marches targeting Jews in general at the first U.N. racism conference in Durban in 2001 remain strong and fears of a repeat have grown after protests in Europe over Israel's war against Palestinian militants in Gaza. >>> Copyright © 2008 Reuters | By Robert Evans | Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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