80% of participants in latest UN rights council vote against Israel ranked “Not Free” or only “Partly Free” by Freedom House

by Robin Shepherd

In the latest display of sickening hypocrisy at the United Nations, the Human Rights Council yesterday endorsed by 30 votes to one this month’s report by three anti-Israeli lawyers which charged Israel with “wilful killing”, “torture” and “inhuman treatment” over the Mavi Marmara Gaza-flotilla incident earlier this year.

The United States was the only country to oppose the report, while France and Britain were among 15 others abstaining. What really strikes one, however, are the liberal-democratic credentials of those who backed the motion. To think! Being judged on a human rights issue by China, Libya, or Saudi Arabia? Actually this is no laughing matter. It is a depraved and disgusting statement on what the United Nations has become. It is, therefore, worth looking at the backers of this motion in a little more detail.

I have used the Freedom House Freedom in the World 2010 index — which ranks countries as either Free (F), Partly Free (PF) or Not Free (NF) — as my point of reference. Here are the countries which voted in favour of the report with their Freedom House designation in brackets:

Angola (NF), Argentina (F), Bahrain (NF), Bangladesh (PF), Brazil (F), Burkina Faso (PF), Chile (F), China (NF), Cuba (NF), Djibouti (PF), Ecuador (PF), Gabon (NF), Guatemala (PF), Jordan (NF), Kyrgyzstan (NF), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (NF), Malaysia (PF), Maldives (PF), Mauritania (NF), Mauritius (F), Mexico (F), Nigeria (PF), Pakistan (PF), Qatar(NF), Russian Federation (NF), Saudi Arabia (NF), Senegal (PF), Thailand (PF), Uganda (PF), and Uruguay (F).

With only six countries in the group ranked as free, no less than 80 percent are either only partly free — meaning they are grubby, corrupt and often murderous pseudo-democracies — or are not free — meaning in most cases they are outright tyrannies.

The resolution was tabled by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, almost all of whose members are dictatorships or tyrannies of one form or another. On their behalf, it was introduced in the Rights Council by Pakistan.

Mindful of the truly stomach turning hypocrisy in all of this, as well as the searing contempt for the victims of oppression in most of the countries which voted in favour of the motion, it is also worth noting the attitude of the European Union. How about this for an illustration of an institution completely unable to stand up for truth and justice (or even say anything meaningful) when faced with demands emanating from the Muslim world. What follows is taken directly from the text of yesterday’s proceedings:

“ALEX VAN MEEUWEN (Belgium), speaking in a general comment on behalf of the European Union, deeply regretted the events that had led to the unnecessary loss of life. The Council had the duty to address all human rights violations wherever they occurred, including by fighting impunity. The European Union welcomed the efforts of the Fact-Finding Mission to make an objective assessment of the organization and interception of the flotilla by the Israeli navy. However, the European Union found it important that the work of the Human Rights Council complemented and fed into the work done by the wider United Nations system. The European Union regretted that the work of the panel of inquiry created by the United Nations Secretary-General had not been taken into account more strongly. Also, the European Union regretted the absence of sincere negotiations. For these reasons, the members of the European Union would abstain during the vote.”

I beg to differ. Let me suggest a few other reasons why the EU “would abstain during the vote”: cowardice in the face of Muslim minorities at home; appeasement of the OIC and its oil and gas producing members at the UN; a spineless political correctness in not wanting to rock the boat inside a UN institution which has as much respect for human rights as a paedophile ring does for the rights of children; etc; etc; etc.

Say what you want about Barack Obama, but America even under his watch was the only country in the world to say no to this revolting spectacle. As for the rest of the world’s governments, it’s a bleak, bleak picture.

Robin Shepherd

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.