Posted on 09/17/2007 7:18:46 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said on Monday that bigotry and prejudice, especially in regard to Muslims, were common in Europe and called on governments to tackle the issue.
The remarks from the former Canadian Supreme Court judge, which came in the wake of similar charges issued last week by a U.N. rights investigator, were quickly challenged by a leading global non-religious grouping.
The report by investigator Doudou Diene of Senegal documented what he called an alarming rise in intolerance, and in particular Islamophobia, in European countries, and Arbour said, "I have no reason not to share his concerns."
Europeans "are shocked at times when it is pointed out that bigotry, prejudice and stereotyping is still sometimes very present in their attitude to others," she said.
Diene's work, she declared, highlighted "a challenge for Western countries that needs to be addressed."
Roy Brown, past president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which groups non-religious organizations around the globe said Arbour was "just plain wrong."
"The little regrettable hostility that does exist among indigenous Europeans has not arisen in a vacuum, but as a reaction to Islamic extremism -- deionization of Jews, infidels and homosexuals and contempt for Western culture," said Brown, the IHEU's representative at the U.N.'s Human Rights Council.
Diene's report said Islamophobia and equating Islam with terrorism created a climate favoring racial and religious hate.
But it also criticized Islamic states for their treatment of non-Muslim minorities and for refusing to recognize the right of people born into Islam to change their religion.
Diene pointed to the recent appearance of a cartoon in a provincial Swedish newspaper that governments of Islamic countries say offended their religion as an example of abuse of the right of free speech to sow suspicion of Muslims.
He also hit out at Switzerland over perceived anti-immigrant campaigning by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).
European countries in the Council responded in low-key to his "Islamophobia" charges.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour looks on during a news conference at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva September 17, 2007. Arbour said on Monday that bigotry and prejudice, especially in regard to Muslims, were common in Europe and called on governments to tackle the issue. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
I guess it’s a good thing no bigotry exists in Islamic countries /sarc/
Shouldn’t Louise Arbour be home and burqa’d up?
Lets review, shall we:
Muslims want to enslave or murder the infidel whenever possible.
Muslims prohibit all non-Islamic religious expression whenever possible.
Muslims prohibit freedom of expression, association and action of the infidel whenever possible.
Muslims kill people indiscriminately.
But it is the non-Muslim west that is “bigoted” towards Islam.
Well, I’m glad she cleared that up...
Her mind is so open her brains fell out.
When Muslims allow a cathedral to be built in Mecca we can talk about who is less tolerant.
Louise Arbour must have been taking a nap on 09-11-01. Or...she might just like to play the race card because it gets her excited.
Whom, is this useless piece of work?
I'm beginning to see you point,Doudou.
the enemy is pressing what it sees as its advantage: a crater in manhattan; a complicit media.
Guess she has to justify her job (if you can call it that) someway, and what better way than to point the finger at those of European descent.
Stupid woman!
Islam is not a RACE
There is no such phobia as "Islamophobia". I've checked every medical manual and it doesn't exist.
Phobias are irrational fears.
There is nothing irrational of being suspicious of a self declared enemy that has sworn to kill you, will employ subterfuge to hide among you, and claims the Koran instructs them to do this.
Especially when you check out the koran and find that indeed it does!
So stick your bigotry and prejudice up your ample ass, madam. There is no bigotry or prejudice in responding to a REAL THREAT.
IMO, Europe needs to employ a LOT more prejudice before they are overrun and finally conquered. Remember the Battle of Tours. Now the enemy is attacking from within.
I'd like to know how to do that!
Yup,I'm convinced,Doudou.
Indeed.
This woman is definitely constipated !!!
If she had her way, the Muslims would decapitate her in in instant. Of course, she would be totally surprised by this.
Time to get the UN out of the US. Maybe they’d like to go set up shop in Syria or Iran. . . they could take care of the poor downtrodden discriminated-against Muslims there.
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