Source: http://www.oic-oci.org/topic_detail.asp?t_id=1912 http://www.oic-oci.org/topic_detail.asp?t_id=1912
Date: February 21, 2009

OIC Secretary General Welcomes the US Administration’s Decision to Participate in the preparatory meeting of the Durban II Review Conference


The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference welcomed the US Government’s decision to send a delegation to the preparatory meeting of the Durban II Review Conference which is to be held in Geneva on 20-24 April 2009. Terming it as a positive development, the OIC Secretary General emphasized the importance of the Durban II Review Conference in stepping up the worldwide efforts to counter discrimination, racism and xenophobia. 

He further added that the decision to enable the United States’ representation in the conference would be a move in the right direction. He also expressed that the decision would be widely perceived by the Muslim world as a credible signal of the new US Administration’s goodwill and desire to introduce a fresh, fair and objective approach to the issues related to human rights and Middle East peace process as well as to rejuvenate the United States’ positive image throughout the Muslim nations. 

The OIC Secretary General Ihsanoglu further emphasized that “the Durban II Review Conference should not be perceived as a gathering of the UN member states to criticize specifically Israel. The Review Conference should rather be perceived as an expression of the global community’s growing concern over acts of discrimination, intolerance and incitement to hatred. 

Regarding the allegation that the Durban II Review would be exploited by some of the OIC member states to make anti-Israel and anti-Semitic diatribes, Secretary General Ihsanoglu noted that anti-Semitism is a practice which neither originates within, nor belongs to the Muslim communities. Therefore, anti-Semitism should not be associated either with the religion of Islam, or with the OIC member states. Secondly, it should be every individual’s right and freedom to criticize the policies and practices considered to be in breach of human rights. In the same vein, criticizing Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are in contravention of the universal human rights principles and specifically relevant articles of the Geneva Conventions should neither be perceived nor portrayed as anti-Semitism. The very fact that a number of OIC member states have sizeable Jewish populations and that the Jews enjoy living in these countries as integral parts of the societies, is a testimony that anti-Semitism is not the right word to describe Muslim’s discontent with the Israeli practices. 

From the very beginning the OIC has made it clear that the Durban Review process should not be a politically motivated process or an anti-Semitic exercise. It should be, on the contrary an inclusive process, where all stakeholders should be free to address the real and serious challenges of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. 

The OIC Secretary General stated that stereotypical images are increasingly becoming source of grave concern to all peace-loving circles in the world as these practices tend to incite hatred, discrimination and intolerance and clarified that while the OIC draws attention to the increasing trend of discrimination and intolerance against Muslims, at the same time, it offers its cooperation to address anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and anti-Western misperceptions as well. 

He emphasized the OIC`s firm commitment to freedom of expression which is a fundamental human right and stated that the OIC is not looking for limitation or restrictions of this freedom beyond those that already have been set by Articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966. 

The OIC Secretary General stated that it would be a setback for the international community which is unanimous in its commitment to fight racism, discrimination and xenophobia, if certain countries remain away from it because of some pre-conceived notion that the Review is directed against any particular country. He hoped that participation of all countries including the US at Durban Review Conference would go a long way in addressing the implementation of the Durban Plan of Action for the sake of global peace, security and development.