THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (EAFORD)
5 route des Morillons, CP 2100.  1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Telephone & Fax: 788.62.33  
In Response to “Human Rights Groups Have Less Than Noble Agendas” 
An Article Written By Anne Bayersky
http://www.eaford.org/statements.html
 
We read your article regarding the Fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights that took place at the UN during March-April of 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland.  We were utterly astonished and dismayed by various comments you made which should not have come from a human being that claims to be well-informed and concerned with human rights issues.  Meanwhile, she ridicules the participation of NGOs in general and shows spitefulness towards EAFORD in particular.  Your comments themselves have to be criticized for all the inaccurate information and fabricated stories, which fetched so far from reality and went against the truth that the only explanation left to the informed reader was your ill intent to mislead!!     
            What concerns our organization is correcting these errors and calling on your conscience to apologize for taking a position that lacks insight and wisdom.
First, you mentioned with disdain how our statement addressed the issue of the anthrax letters that were mailed in the United States by an American scientist who is suspected of having a connection with international Zionism.  The way you said it slyly conveyed that we supposedly invented or made-up this allegation, when in fact numerous sources of the press in America, Europe and the Arab world reported it, and the U.S. Administration never denied it.  If so, what is so ridiculous then about bringing up this serious matter in our statement!!??   
Secondly, you mentioned that our organization EAFORD was established in Tripoli, Libya in 1976 by a symposium in support of the belief that Zionism is a form of racism.  Your intention behind pointing out Tripoli, Libya is well understood.  However, you neglected to mention that five hundred journalists and scholars attended the symposium mostly from Europe and America.  These participants presented at least twenty reports and studies confirming Zionism as a form of racism and their work was compiled in a 238-page book available in bookstores under the title Zionism and Racism.  Jewish scholars with Doctorate degrees presented three of those research papers, and one of them was a Rabbi and the president of one of the well-known Jewish organizations in United States.  Before passing away, this highly respected Rabbi was one of the Executive Council members of EAFORD, the nongovernmental organization that was subjected to your mockery and scornful words.  Furthermore, you neglected to mention that the members of the Executive and Consultative Councils of EAFORD come from Asia, Europe, Africa and America, and among them are the Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Conservative and Liberal members who work jointly on human rights concerns and against such racist spirit as conveyed in your contemptuous and hateful remarks!!
Also, you neglected to realize that the President of EAFORD who is Libyan had been forced to leave his country since 1980, and his private properties, land, Law Office and everything he owned had been illegally confiscated by the Libyan authorities.  He and his family members have been scattered overseas since then.  At the same time that was happening, the headquarters of EAFORD transferred to London then to Geneva, Switzerland where the organization is based until today.  
We hope you reconsider your discrediting and denigrating comments. 
 
Abdullah Sharafeddin
Geneva
31/08/2003