A powerful article in today’s Opinion Journal by Anne Bayefsky: “The U.N.’s Dirty Little Secret: The international body refuses to condemn anti-Semitism.”
Says Bayefsky: “Last week, the U.N. once again proved itself incapable of rising to the moral challenges embraced in its founding Charter: ‘tolerance,’ ‘the dignity and worth of the human person’ and ‘equal rights.’ A draft resolution on anti-Semitism–which would have been a first in the U.N.’s 58-year history–was withdrawn in the face of Arab and Muslim opposition.”
Bayefsky’s phrase “Arab and Muslim opposition” would have been better simply as “Muslim opposition” or at least as “Arab Muslim opposition”: there were no non-Muslim Arabs involved. And why would Muslims have opposed such a resolution? A primary reason is because anti-Semitism is deeply ingrained in Islam (see, for example, Allah’s curses on Jews, turning them into apes and pigs, in the Qur’an, Suras 2:62-65, 5:59-60, and 7:166). And because Islamic law, the Sharia, simply does not allow for “‘tolerance,’ ‘the dignity and worth of the human person’ and ‘equal rights'” the way the West understands these things.
Bayefsky: “Daily incidents of anti-Semitic violence around the globe are reported in the media. Yet while leaders of the Free World condemn synagogue bombings in Turkey, firebombings of Jewish schools in France, and the hate speech of Malaysia’s president who now heads the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the U.N. moves in the opposite direction, encouraging the proliferation of this centuries-old hatred.
“In marked contrast, other forms of intolerance continue to consume the U.N.’s attention and resources. A special rapporteur mandated by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights reports regularly to the U.N. on ‘discrimination against Muslims and Arab peoples in various parts of the world’ including any ‘physical assaults and attacks against their places of worship, cultural centers, businesses and properties.’ An entire 2003 Commission resolution ‘combating defamation of religions,’ mentions only prejudice against Muslims, Arabs and Islam.
There is much more of great value in Bayefsky’s article. Meanwhile, for indispensable background on this phenomenon, see this statement on Muslim anti-Semitism submitted to the UN Commission on Human Rights by the Association for World Education, a non-governmental organization.
Some excerpts:
“During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (autumn 2002), the Egyptian Dream Satellite TV channel serialized – with government authorization – 41 episodes of ‘Knight Without a Horse,’ a melodrama based on the 100 year-old-forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
There is a related TV serial running in Syria now.
“It is disheartening to witness some of the principal leaders of the Arab-Muslim world convening for the sake of vilifying another religion and people, shunning neither expressions of abuse, nor the worst invectives. [Vice-principal of Tanta institute, Egyptian Sheikh Kamal Ahmad Own, The Jews are the Enemies of Human Life as is Evident from their Holy Book.]
“Islam, from its origins, includes extreme anti-Jewish and anti-Christian components. These traditional attitudes relating to Jews are now being invested with new life and vigour by the spiritual leaders who took part in this Fourth Conference, in the subsequent Fifth Conference, and in similar learned gatherings held from time to time in other Arab centres.”
“The superiority of Islam over all other religions is brandished as a guarantee that the Arabs will ultimately triumph. The grandeur of Islam must be reflected in future secular successes. Arab defeats and reverses are explained away as having been ordained by a providential design, in order to teach the Arabs a lesson because of their spiritual negligence — and as a purgatorial ordeal.
“Jews are frequently denoted as the “enemies of Allah” or the “enemies of humanity.” This latter expression is even to be found in the opening speech of Vice-President Al-Shafe’i. The expression ‘dogs of humanity’ is used by Mr. Hassan Khaled, the Mufti of the Lebanon.”
“The State of Israel is the culmination of the historical and cultural depravity of the Jews. It has to be destroyed, having been established through aggression, which is its congenital and immutable nature. This task should be achieved by a Jihad, a Holy War.”
Again, there is much more to this. Please read it all.