In Human Events this morning I discuss yet another strange new initiative in that land of strange new initiatives, the UN:
That they have broken up several major jihad plots in recent weeks is a tribute to American intelligence gathering and law enforcement. To them must go the credit for the fact that the U.S. is not this week picking up the pieces after another major terror attack.Yet just as Islamic terrorists appear to be ramping up their efforts within the United States, at the UN a new report recommends not the strengthening, but the repeal of counterterrorism laws.
In a bizarre report to the UN Human Rights Council, ostensibly on counterrorism but actually more intent on social engineering, a Finnish law professor who is a special rapporteur to the UNHRC, Martin Scheinin, examines what he calls the "complex relationship between gender equality and countering terrorism."
What does working for "gender equality" have to do with resisting Islamic jihad terrorism? Nothing whatsoever, but Scheinin is determined to change that. He calls on UN member states to "abandon the 'war paradigm'" and instead "enshrine the principles of gender-equality and non-discrimination in the design and implementation of all counter-terrorism measures." He demanded that the American "war on terror" be "actually responsive to the concerns of women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals in local contexts." Instead, apparently, of actually defending Americans from terrorists.
Scheinin also recommended that laws designed to interdict the financing of terror groups be relaxed. Why? To make sure that "safe and effective channels for funding" were available for "organizations devoted to gender equality." He advocated the repeal of "restrictive immigration controls" that penalize "transgender persons whose personal appearance and data are subject to change." What does that have to do with terrorism? Why, some jihadists have escaped detection by donning burqas -- and Scheinin wants to make that easier. He says that to "focus attention on male bombers who may be dressing as females to avoid scrutiny" runs the risk of making "transgender persons...susceptible to increased harassment and suspicion."
It would be laughable that any of this would appear in a United Nations report on counterterrorism -- if only it weren't true. Scheinin's recommendations obviously stem from the assumption that actual terrorism is a fiction, a construct of governments he considers reactionary (principally, no doubt, the administration of George W. Bush). Unfortunately, one group that doesn't appear to have gotten the message are the Islamic jihadists themselves.
Before the UNHRC follows Scheinin's recommendations to discard counterterrorism laws in the name of political correctness, it should consider some recent developments in the United States.
Just last week, for example, a Muslim in Boston, Tarek Mehanna, was arrested for plotting to massacre American civilians in a shopping mall, as well as to murder to "members of the executive branch" that law enforcement officials declined to identify.
In recent weeks there have been other plots as well: two Muslims, including an imam, were arrested for their alleged roles in an elaborate plot involving numerous other Muslims in New York City and Denver, who were evidently planning a major jihad attack at a sports stadium. Another Islamic jihadist, Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, was arrested after placing an inert car bomb at a 60-story office tower in downtown Dallas. Yet another jihadist, an American convert calling himself Talib Islam, was arrested for plotting to blow up the Paul Findley Federal Building in Springfield, Illinois.
It would be difficult to find a comparable period since 9/11 in which so many plots have been uncovered around the same time -- and this makes Scheinin's recommendations all the more grotesque. Is this really time to "abandon the 'war paradigm'"? This is a time, on the contrary, to refine and expand that "war paradigm," to take into account all the many ways in which Islamic supremacists are attempting to bring elements of Islamic law into Western societies - including those that have no connection to actual terrorism. But the many recent foiled terror plots indicates that the United Nations, if it treats Scheinin's report seriously at all, is suffering from a severe disconnection from reality.
That disconnect is nothing new, really, when it comes to the United Nations. But in this case even more than usual, lives are at stake.
Apparently Scheinin spent around 6 months researching for his thesis on such a deconstruction of fighting the ever present danger of Islamic terrorism. What is reflected here by Scheinin is so narrow in scope that one wonders what he drew his research from and why it could possibly see the light of day. Scheinin must have spent way to much time in his basement dreaming up this way over the top example of multiculturalism gone a muck. Does Scheinin want to be the poster boy for various trangenders in the fight against terrorism? Prisons have to deal with people that authorities even have trouble defining where and how to house them within the prison population. The clear issue of terrorism cannot be judged by a persons sex but by their actions whether they are male,female,transgender,homosexual,lesbian, Etc. it simply does not matter when it comes to terrorism. Terrorist have been women and even children have had suicide bombs strapped on them.
Scheinin is, must be, insane.
Yes Hugh, he is. Nuff said.
Correct.
Indeed, this stuff doesn't even make any sense.
Gender equality? WTF? The last time I checked bombs don't discriminate between men and women, they are equal opportunity killers! Geez...
This is just further evidence the UN is controlled by clueless idiots and politically correct morons. Only PC morons could link "gender equality" with counterterrorism.
Gender equality? WTF? The last time I checked bombs don't discriminate between men and women, they are equal opportunity killers! Geez...
This is just further evidence the UN is controlled by clueless idiots and politically correct morons. Only PC morons could link "gender equality" with counterterrorism.
How come the UN is still standing? What obscure forces use it and for what goals? What is the name of its mainman? Mr Moon or something like that? And what did he do at his ceremony? Are we all crazy or what. US please get yourselves out of that place.Even more,take the UN out of your country,put it in some other place, like Somalia or North Korea.
I still have no idea why US taxpayers are still subsidizing this modern day Tower of Babel. We should stop paying the dues of failed nation-states and evict the residents of the UN
"compound" in New York and encourage them to re-locate in, say, Baghdad. Or Riyad. Or Kabul. Or Lahore.
This is proof that the UN needs to be disbanded, sell off assets and send dictators and their appologists home.
He [Scheinin] says that to "focus attention on male bombers who may be dressing as females to avoid scrutiny" runs the risk of making "transgender persons...susceptible to increased harassment and suspicion."
Oh what the hell. Since 'those' we are at 'war' with have from time to time followed the example of the Perfect Cross-Dresser (PB&JbUH), trannys, cross-dressers and those undecided need to step up and take one for the team in the name of Freedom. After all, gray haired, blue eyed grandparents of The Greatest Generation and their grandchildren and great grands have for years had to submit to increased scrutiny and harassment due to no mal action of their own demographic or ideology.
In a crazy way, this makes sense and is really telling. Those who are sexual pariahs under Islam being cited by the Left (Scheinin) as somehow the reason why counter-terrorism efforts should be abandoned. To the general public these arguments sound absurd, but to the hermetically sealed petri dish of thinking which is leftist academia no light or air may intrude and these ideas grow into full viral absurdity. The UN Human Rights Council then reads the report and will no doubt find it edifying. And the media will say the words "UN Human Rights Council" and most uninformed people will be impressed by such an important-sounding organization. I still think our main problem is our mainstream media.
This is transparent crap and has to be called out for what it is.
This is an obvious excuse to weaken American defenses in the name of a slogan that Americans are expected to find appealing.
It is an act of hostile propaganda intended solely to make it easier to kill Americans.
The pigs that are promoting this idea need to be called out and slapped down for the toxic assistants to murder that they self-evidently are.
If Scheinin's report is adopted a lot of people may find themselves finnished.
The 10/27 Reuters article about Scheinin includes:
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Scheinin drew examples of gender-based rights violations stemming from counter-terrorism laws from previous reports.
He said in Algeria women had been arrested and accused of being extremists after they reported sexual violence by armed Islamists, while in Nepal transgender people attacked by insurgents were also targeted by police under the guise of counter-terrorism.
Palestinian women suffered because Israeli checkpoints delayed them reaching hospitals, said Scheinin.
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Note his example #3, standing out as a one-sentence paragraph. Surprise! It's Israel's fault.
For once I disagree with Hugh. Scheinin isn't insane. Just standard-issue, if imaginative, Israel basher.