Tag: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

  • Ihsanoghlu brags about the “Istanbul Process” and how he bamboozled Shrillary to sign article 16/18

    Ihsanoghlu brags about the “Istanbul Process” and how he bamboozled Shrillary to sign article 16/18

    Ihsanoghlu brags about the “Istanbul Process” and how he bamboozled Shrillary to sign article 16/18

    by sheikyermami on January 8, 2013

    Not sure whether he really had to ‘bamboozle’ her. Huma Abedin, Shrillary’s lesbian lover who is said to hold ‘Svengali’-like powers over her, would have already taken care of that.

    Ihsanoghlu’s Katzenjammer gets results. Western polit-props are buying brown lipstick like never before:

    OIC SG Ihsanoglu: Religious Intolerance Unaccaptable (sic)

    Sounds like “we have ways to make you like Islam”….

    Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that no one bothered to admit that it was a wrong behavior when arrogant cartoons were published in 2005 and 2006.

    Ihsanoghlu

    ISTANBUL — Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on Monday said that no one bothered to admit that it was a wrong behavior when arrogant cartoons were published in 2005 and 2006.

    Delivering the opening remarks of a meeting on “religious intolerance” in the north-western province of Istanbul on Monday, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu underlined that the same countries reacted very differently in the light of recent cartoons and (an anti-Islam) movie.

    “They apologized. They stressed that the movie was an exploitation of freedom of expression. They underlined that they would not accept such a movie. It is highly important to come to this point in eight years,” Ihsanoglu indicated.

    (Invest in brown lipstick, people! There is no end to this cocksuckery!)

    “This meeting of ours in Istanbul is a crucial milestone of a multifaceted, multisided, diplomatic and legal process against Islamophobia, and on the campaign initiated against Islam and its prophet,” Ihsanoglu noted.

    Related:

    OIC top dog fulminates against new Muhammad cartoons as “abuse of freedom of expression”

    “Since the first day I assumed office, we have been able to see the adoption of resolutions defending Islam and condemning the attacks against Islam at the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva,” Ihsanoglu said.

    “Such resolutions were adopted with our own votes and with the support of friendly countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as with the support of countries such as Russia and China,” Ihsanoglu stated.

    “European countries and the United States did not accept this and they took different decisions. In order to avoid polarization, we assumed a different attitude and I offered a new plan with eight articles in a speech delivered at the UN Human Rights Council in 2010 to reach a consensus,” Ihsanoglu reminded.

    “The plan was firstly accepted by the U.S. government and later by the European governments. The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted the 8-article plan unanimously and the same resolution was adopted at the UN General Assembly six months later,” Ihsanoglu said.

    “In July 2011, we began the meeting named ‘Istanbul Process’ with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The meeting aimed to give political support to the 8-article plan known as “16/18″,” Ihsanoglu expressed.

    “The ‘Istanbul Process’ took place in Washington and was held in London last month and continued,” Ihsanoglu stated.

    “As the international community, we study the eight articles. Our successful process was a diplomatic one and a diplomatic victory. Political support came after that. It is getting stronger with time. The issue to be discussed today by the wisemen is how “16/18″ will be implemented. We will discuss the sanctions from the view of international law…what would happen when arrogant cartoons get drawn or a movie gets shot,” Ihsanoglu said.

    “The decisions to be taken are not binding. However, they will have significance at an international political level,” Ihsanoglu also said.

    You bet.

    via Ihsanoghlu brags about the “Istanbul Process” and how he bamboozled Shrillary to sign article 16/18 — Winds Of Jihad By SheikYerMami.

  • Islam versus Europe: “The increasing role of the extreme right in Western politics is beyond our abilities to counter them”

    Islam versus Europe: “The increasing role of the extreme right in Western politics is beyond our abilities to counter them”

    “The increasing role of the extreme right in Western politics is beyond our abilities to counter them”

    12:02 | Posted by Cheradenine Zakalwe

    JEDDAH, 8 Safar/Jan 3 (IINA)-Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that the European Union offered to host the third meeting of the ‘Istanbul Process’, which deliberates, in a series of meetings, on developing mechanisms to implement UNHRC Resolution 16/18 on combating intolerance, discrimination and incitement to violence based on religion ore belief.

    The Secretary General of Islamic Cooperation in his office in Jeddah on Tuesday 30 January 2012 pointed out that the EU’s offer to host the meeting represents a qualitative shift in action against the phenomenon of Islamophobia, which spread in many European countries, targeting the Muslim communities there.

    The phenomenon of Islamophobia is found in the West in general, but is growing in European countries in particular and in a manner different than that in the US, which had contributed to drafting Resolution 16/18. The new European position represents the beginning of the shift from their previous reserve over the years over the attempts by the OIC to counter “defamation of religions” in the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations.

    Officials in the Cultural Affairs Department of the OIC said that the European Union’s offer to host the third meeting (the first was in Istanbul in July and the second in Washington DC in December) is considered a promising new possibility of solving this problem. The ‘Istanbul Process’ will have an added momentum by holding the meeting in Europe, which is more affected by the phenomenon of Islamophobia and hostility towards Islam.

    However, Ihsanoglu said that the growing role of the extreme right in politics in several European countries has become stronger than the capacity of the Organization, explaining that the extreme right, who hates Muslims, became leverage in the hands of politicians. He added that the rise of the extreme right through elections has become an issue that cannot be countered, considering the democratic way in which these extremist reach their positions. He pointed out to the referendum held in Switzerland, as an example, which resulted in suspending the construction of minarets there following a vote by the Swiss people.

    Source

    Labels: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Istanbul Process, OIC, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation

    via Islam versus Europe: “The increasing role of the extreme right in Western politics is beyond our abilities to counter them”.

  • Free Speech Concerns Ahead of Meeting With Muslim Nations on Religious Tolerance

    Free Speech Concerns Ahead of Meeting With Muslim Nations on Religious Tolerance

    By Judson Berger

    clinton 071511

    • Department of State

      July 15, 2011: Shown here are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at a meeting in Istanbul.

    A looming meeting with Islamic leaders hosted by the State Department has religious scholars and advocacy groups warning that the United States may “play into” the push by some Islamic nations to create new laws to stifle religious criticism and debate.

    The meeting on religious tolerance, which is scheduled for mid-December, would involve representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation — a coalition of 56 nations which more or less represents the Muslim world.

    Critics describe the get-together — the first in a series — as a Trojan horse for the long-running OIC push for restrictions on speech. They note the track record of nations that want the dialogue, including Egypt, where recent military action against Coptic Christians raised grave concerns about intolerance against religious minorities.

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton originally announced the meeting this past July in Turkey, where she co-chaired a talk on religious tolerance with the OIC. The event was billed as a way to foster “respect and empathy and tolerance” among nations. Delegates from up to 30 countries, as well as groups like the European Union, are also invited.

    A State Department official told FoxNews.com this week that the meeting is meant to combat intolerance while being “fully consistent with freedom of expression.”

    A key worry is that the meeting could become a platform for Islamic governments to push for hate-speech laws which, in their most virulent and fundamentalist form, criminalize what they perceive as blasphemy.

    While Clinton has drawn a line in the sand, saying nations should not “criminalize speech,” the upcoming meeting is seen by some as a misstep on a very sensitive issue.

    “It’s just an astonishingly bad decision,” said Nina Shea, who sits on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and serves as director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.

    Shea, who joined a group of scholars specializing in religious defamation for an event last week on Capitol Hill hosted by The Federalist Society, warned that the United States is virtually alone among western nations in not having hate-speech laws. She said the Obama administration doesn’t need to delve deeper into religious speech issues with OIC nations, considering their history.

    Shea said she doesn’t yet fear the possibility that hate-speech laws are coming to the U.S. any time soon, “but I am concerned the culture is changing on this.”

    Jacob Mchangama, director of legal affairs for Denmark’s Center for Political Studies, noted that the U.S. has resisted following Europe with hate-speech laws, but the Obama administration may be willing to “relax” its approach. He noted the administration co-sponsored a resolution with Egypt in 2009 that expressed concern about “negative racial and religious stereotyping,” and said the upcoming December conference lends credibility to the OIC agenda.

    The push by Islamic nations, especially Pakistan, for global religious sensitivity on its surface sounds innocuous. But the debate often pits their cause against free speech, and western officials have long complained the nations spearheading the push are keen on shielding Islam specifically from criticism.

    In some countries, perceived protections against religious insult are used as license to threaten, bully and attack those who offend, intentionally or not. Most recently, the office of a French satirical newspaper was attacked after it published a Muhammad cartoon. That follows widespread 2006 protests over the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper.

    And in Pakistan, whose blasphemy laws are internationally renowned for their broadness and severity, the legal protections on religious insult are used most often to protect Islam. Being charged with a blasphemy offense — or criticizing the laws themselves — can open the door to intimidation, or worse. Earlier this year, two Pakistani officials who had been critical of the laws were assassinated.

    The OIC, looking for international cooperation on the issue of religious tolerance, has pushed for so-called “defamation” resolutions before the United Nations for over a decade. Those resolutions were Islam-focused and called on governments to take action to stop religious defamation.

    Though the OIC took a pass on the resolution this year, the U.N. Human Rights Council in March approved a watered-down version that expresses concerns about religious “intolerance, discrimination and related violence.” The adoption was generally seen as a successful move by the U.S. to replace the far-tougher resolutions the OIC has pushed over the past decade.

    But the upcoming meeting has been hailed by some OIC officials as a way to craft a tougher approach to curbing religious criticism.

    An August article from the International Islamic News Agency cited OIC “informed sources” saying the meetings were meant to develop a “legal basis” for the March resolution.

    The State Department official noted that the Human Rights Council’s resolution does not call for limits on free speech or provide support for defamation or blasphemy laws.

    “Instead, the text notes the positive role that the free exchange of ideas and interfaith dialogue can have in countering religious intolerance,” the official said. “We believe that implementing the specific, appropriate steps called for in the resolution will help to undercut support for such restrictions on expression and religious freedom.”

    But Shea questioned why Clinton was moving to implement the non-binding measure.

    “It validates the OIC on speech,” she said. “It plays into their agenda.”

    The meeting has been set for Dec. 12-14, and is expected to be hosted by Suzan Johnson Cook, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. It’s unclear whether Clinton will attend. The meeting was announced around the same time as the Norway terror attacks, carried out by an individual said to harbor anti-Muslim views.

    December’s meeting is the first in a series — focusing on engaging religious minorities and training officials on religious awareness, as well as “enforcing laws that protect against” religious discrimination, according to the State Department.

    Lindsay Vessey, advocacy director with Open Doors USA, said her group is “cautiously optimistic” about the meetings. Vessey, whose organization advocates for persecuted Christians and has criticized the “defamation” resolutions in the past, said her organization remains hopeful the upcoming conference will turn out to be a “good thing.”

    The conservative Traditional Values Coalition last month sent a letter to Clinton asking that the group be included as part of the discussion. President Andrea Lafferty told FoxNews.com her organization is “very concerned” the administration is becoming “cozy” with the OIC, which she claimed wants to “silence” voices critical of Islam.

    Read more:

  • Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance

    Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance

    ISTANBUL, Turkey: The horrific and tragic incident that happened in Norway reminds us again of the importance of combating religious intolerance and promoting cultural understanding.

    Anti-Islam and anti-Muslim attitudes and activities, known as Islamophobia, are increasingly finding place in the agenda of ultra-right wing political parties and civil societies in the West in their anti-immigrant and anti-multiculturalism policies, as was evident in the manifesto of the Norway killer. Their views are being promoted under the banner of freedom of expression while claiming that Muslims do not respect that right.

    A few days before the Norway attack, on July 15 in Istanbul, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United States agreed to a united stand on “[c]ombating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief” through the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18.

    The meeting – co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and myself, with the attendance of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs together with the foreign ministers and officials of OIC member states and Western countries, as well as international organizations – reaffirmed the commitment of the participants to the effective implementation of the measures set in the resolution.

    This was a major step towards strengthening the foundations of tolerance and respect for religious diversity as well as enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

    The OIC, which was the initiator of Resolution 16/18, worked in close cooperation in the drafting process with the United States and the European Union in bringing about a breakthrough on 21 March.

    The 2011 HRC resolution is a genuine effort to usher in an era of understanding on the issue of religious intolerance. It gives the widest margin of freedom of expression, and reiterates the rejection of discrimination, incitement and stereotyping used by the other or against the symbols of the followers of religions.

    The OIC has never sought to limit freedom of expression, give Islam preferential treatment, curtail creativity or allow discrimination against religious minorities in Muslim countries.

    The Islamic faith is based on tolerance and acceptance of other religions. It does not condone discrimination of human beings on the basis of caste, creed, color or faith. It falls on all the OIC member states as a sacred duty to protect the lives and property of their non-Muslim citizens and to treat them without discrimination of any form. Those elements who seek to harm or threaten minority citizens must be subjected to law. Our strong stand condemning violence perpetrated against non-Muslims whether in Iraq, Egypt or Pakistan has been consistent.

    No one has the right to insult another for their beliefs or to incite hatred and prejudice. That kind of behavior is irresponsible and uncivilized.

    We also cannot overlook the fact that the world is diverse. The Western perception on certain issues would differ from those held by others. We need to be sensitive and appreciative of this reality, more so when it comes to criticizing or expressing views on issues related to religion and culture.

    The publication of offensive cartoons of the Prophet six years ago that sparked outrage across the Muslim world, the publicity around the film Fitna and the more recent Qur’an burnings represent incidents of incitement to hatred that fuel an atmosphere of dangerous mutual suspicion. Freedom of expression has to be exercised with responsibility. At the same time, violent reactions to provocations are also irresponsible and uncivilized and we condemn them unequivocally.

    It is not enough to pass resolutions and laws against religious incitement. We should also be diligent in launching more initiatives and measures towards better intercultural dialogue and understanding at all levels – the political, social, business, media, academic and religious.

    Resolution 16/18 includes an eight-point approach that calls for various measures to foster tolerance, including developing collaborative networks to build mutual understanding and constructive action, creating appropriate mechanisms within the government to identify and address potential areas of tension between members of religious communities, and raising awareness at the local, national and international levels on the effects of negative religious stereotyping and incitement to religious hatred.

    The implementation of the 2011 HRC Resolution 16/18 would take us a long way in making our world a more peaceful and harmonious place to live in.

    ###

    * Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference), an international organization consisting of 57 member states. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

    Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 16 August 2011, www.commongroundnews.org

    BM

    via Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance : Bikya Masr | Independent news for the world.