At last, a small bit of common sense: “Rights experts attack Islam defamation drive at UN,” by Robert Evans for Reuters, December 17 (thanks to JW):

GENEVA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations should stop passing resolutions, largely promoted by Islamic countries, calling for laws against “defamation of religion”, according to international experts on freedom of expression.The four experts — from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the United Nations itself — said such laws were often used to shield religious leaders from criticism and to suppress religious minorities and non-believers.

* Which truce? Hamas declares it won’t extend truce

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BBC

*April 2008:  Israel to deny UN official entry for comparing Israel to Nazis

* For more on Richard Falk go to the bottom of the page where he belongs…

* They really believe they’re on a mission from Allah: 

The Iranian VP said this week that the destruction of Israel ought to be a global cause.
Iranian Fars News reported:

* Predictable bile from the demented Jew-haters in the UN:

The blockade means Gazans have little to celebrate this Muslim feast-time

The UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories has said Israel’s policies there amount to a crime against humanity.

Richard Falk’s statement came as UN human rights delegates urged Israel to take nearly 100 measures including ending its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

He said the UN must act to protect the Palestinian population suffering what he called “collective punishment”.

Israel says the blockade is a necessary security measure to stem rocket salvos.

The UN Human Rights Council has spent two days reviewing Israel’s human rights record under a new mechanism called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), in which the Council scrutinises the records of all UN member states every four years.

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* Here’s 3 articles in one. Make sure your BS barometer doesn’t explode:

Yep, the RoP is the solution:

 “a religion that promotes peace, freedom and tolerance.”

Among the elements of this strategic plan:

■ “They should also make use of their good relations with Western countries to enact laws preventing the denigration of Islam and Muslim personalities”

■ “Islamic organizations have been asked to monitor school syllabuses in non-Muslim countries to prevent distortion of facts about Islam and Muslims.”

“Forum calls for strategic plan to reach out to non-Muslims,” by P.K. Abdul Ghafour for Arab News, December 4 (thanks to JW):

JEDDAH: An international conference organized by the Muslim World League has called for a strategic plan to introduce Islam as a solution to major problems facing humanity and as a religion that promotes peace, freedom and tolerance.The three-day conference, titled “Introducing Islam to non-Islamic countries: Reality and aspirations,” stressed that non-Muslims living in Islamic countries should enjoy all of the rights enjoyed by Muslims.

Really? All of them? In this they run counter to the provisions of traditional Islamic law regarding the subjugated status of the dhimmis, as mandated by the Qur’anic injunction that they pay the jizya (poll tax) “with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued” (9:29).

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* Looks like the chickens are coming home to rrrroooossst!

Will you submit?

This has been a long time coming. The UN anti-blasphemy measure, although non-binding at this point, is part of a larger and long-term effort to restrict speech that Islamic authorities dislike, including honest examination of the motives and goals of jihad terrorists. The only victors can be the jihadists themselves: Western authorities, already mired in politically correct myopia, will grow even more afraid to speak openly about what they’re trying to do and what we can do to stop it. The losers can only be those who value freedom of speech and understand why it is so important in a genuinely pluralistic society. The UN measure moves the West one step closer to submitting to the hegemony of Islamic norms.

“UN anti-blasphemy measures have sinister goals, observers say,” by Steven Edwards forCanwest News Service, November 24 (thanks to Kathy Shaidle) via JW

UNITED NATIONS - Islamic countries Monday won United Nations backing for an anti-blasphemy measure Canada and other Western critics say risks being used to limit freedom of speech.

Update: UN: Explanation of vote on behalf of EU on combating defamation of religions

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Another Banana Moment?

by Melanie Phillips

With his remarks about the Israeli settlements, Foreign Secretary David Miliband (pictured eating an ice-cream in Damascus) has signalled a sharp deterioration in relations between Britain and Israel. Miliband has urged enforcement of an EU boycott of produce from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, settlements he has called ‘illegal’.

*  Israel slams UN call to end blockade

*  SHIMON PERES: “WE HAVE TO CLOSE OUR EYES”

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*   Better today than tomorrow. But who’s listening? Anybody home?
  

Legislation will seize U.N. property amid continual anti-American, anti-Jewish sentiment

( WASHINGTON, DC ) – U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) introduced legislation today that would effectively move the United Nations headquarters out of the United States. The legislation is being introduced amid incessant anti-American and anti-Jewish political grandstanding from the podium of the General Assembly.

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U.N. Thugs          

 By Christine Williams
Support for Israel has never ranked high on the United Nations’ agenda. And the upcoming World Conference Against Racism, scheduled for early 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland, presents a valid case. Many observers are concerned that the UN-sponsored event will simply serve as yet another a platform to launch attacks against Israel — as the previous world anti-racism conference did in Durban, South Africa, seven years ago.

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OIC’s “blasphemy” laws “turning freedom of expression into restriction of expression”

More on this story here and here. “Attempts to shut down criticism of Islam are still on the table at the UN,” from National Secular Society, September 5: via JW

The National Secular Society, together with the International Humanist and Ethical Union, has been working over the past year to try to raise the alarm about the concerted efforts by Islamic groups to write blasphemy laws into international human rights legislation.

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