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| International | |
| Libya to UN: Revoke Wiesenthal Center’s NGO status | |
| 2003-05-10 | |
| JPost - reg req'd - Surprise! The UN sinks even lower The Libyan mission to the UN is urging the community of nations to revoke the Simon Wiesenthal Center's NGO status if it doesn't apologize for criticizing Muammar Qaddafi's human rights record. Quit calling us bad or we'll kill you! At an NGO committee meeting on Friday, Libya, one of 19 nations tasked with reviewing and reaccrediting the world body's 2,234 non-governmental organizations, demanded a letter of apology from the Wiesenthal Center for denouncing the UN Human Rights Commission's choice of chairman. "The Libyan representative said he wanted an apology and a promise that the Wiesenthal Center will never use that kind of language again," said one meeting observer. A UN press release noted that Libya demanded that the committee withdraw the center's consultative status on the grounds of "interfering in the affairs of member states and violating the rules of conduct." The Libyan request was initially made three months ago after the center urged African states not to nominate Libya as their candidate to head the Human Rights Commission. "To have even considered bestowing such an honor on the godfather of terrorism is a moral outrage and a stain on African states who endorsed such an outrageous move," wrote the associate dean of the center, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, in a Jan. 15 statement. Cooper also noted Libya's responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. According to several observers at an NGO meeting, European members of the group became incensed over Libya's demands when the subject of the Pan Am bombing was broached — and Libya argued that the issue was "over and forgotten." They're dead, Mo's still here and you got your settlement, it's over — ha! "The Libyan representative said, 'Oh, you know this is in the past and we've opened a new page,'" said an observer. Of the group's 19 members, just four France, Germany, Chile and the US defended the Wiesenthal Center against Libyan attempts to oust it. States that spoke out in favor of Libya's position included Sudan, Iran, China, Cuba and Russia. Champions of human rights all! The center's status is slated for another discussion at an NGO committee meeting on May 20. The director of the Wiesenthal Center's task force against hate and extremism, Mark Weitzman, said the organization plans to respond to Libya later this week in Paris, where it is co-sponsoring a three-day conference on religious coexistence and anti-Semitism with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The conference, titled "Educating for Tolerance: the Case of Resurgent Anti-Semitism," is slated to include an address by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Israel's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Arye Mekel, called the Libyan complaint "outrageous," and said that the US mission has "promised to take steps to prevent any action against the Wiesenthal Center, which is a very important and praise-worthy American institution." The US mission declined to comment. Nice backbone from the striped-pants set. Arabists only need apply Fred - didn't know whether to post this in International or North Africa - move as you see fit Frank
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| Posted by:Frank G |
| #1 Just another chapter in that Bizarro World known as the UN... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-05-10 11:44:22 |