Anti-Racism At The United Nations

Say what you will about Canada's New Government, it puts its money where its mouth is. No unctuous statements about how it upholds the universal brotherhood of humankind to be manifest in all it demonstrates in its pronouncements, while shying away from an unequivocal rejection of demonstrated racism. As was unfortunately demonstrated by the previous government.

But adamant that it will not be a party to a shameful re-demonstration of boldly racist hypocrisy masquerading as genuine concern for racial discrimination.

The United Nations, in its great good wisdom has announced a follow-up to its 2001 Durban-located World Conference Against Racism. At which venue the world watched as vicious verbal attacks against Israel spewed forth from predominantly Muslim and Arab countries whose presence dominated the conference.

Canadian delegates chose to remain at the conference, while American and Israeli delegates left, rather than lend the conference the dignity of their presence which could very well be construed as meekly supporting undisguised hate-mongering.

The senior Canadian delegate took steps to inform the assembly that it chose to remain "only ... to decry the attempts ... to de-legitimize the Sate of Israel and to dishonour the history and suffering of the Jewish people." An honourable statement, not to be niggled with.

Upon which announcement the Canadian delegation should have taken it upon themselves to leave the assemblage to their further machinations.

Canada's Maxime Bernier, minister of foreign affairs, has announced that Canada has no plans to attend the UN's Durban II Conference. Understanding beforehand that the same shameless libelous travesty will once again be hoisted upon the world stage, isolating and denouncing the State of Israel as a racist Zionist entity, a pariah.

Unsurprisingly, and more than adequately lending itself to the general apprehension is the appointment by the United Nations of planning oversight to its Human Rights Council. Which has distinguished itself in the last two years by targeting Israel solely in 14 of its thus-far 15 resolutions charging human rights violations.

Those states of sterling reputation with respect to the upholding of human rights have placed Iran - which has made no secret of its call for the destruction of the Jewish State, and which has time and again voiced the most egregious accusations against that geographic-co-located country - on an executive planning committee for the conference.

Equally lunatic, if not downright risible, is the chairmanship, held by Libya.

Canada was only one of 41 advanced democracies opposing the funding of $6.8-million in UN support payment for preparatory meetings in advance of Durban II. The measure was handily carried forward, however, by the balance of the 193-member General Assembly.

Canada's Conservative government is prepared for any criticism that may come its way. Affirming that Canada is committed to anti-racism principles; the Canadian Constitution is itself an affirmation of that commitment. The laws of the land affirm that commitment. The commitment within the country and the population to egalitarianism, equality, freedom of speech and from oppression stand as a guarantor of that commitment.

"At the moment, much of the planning for the conference suggests it will focus little on denouncing racism wherever it occurs, and a lot on advancing some countries' agendas against Israel and the West. The government feels that taking a stand against the gathering will do more in the long run for combatting racism than joining in."

Joining that is, a twisted caricature of human rights concerns. With the clearly malevolent intent of once again unleashing its anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic pathology.