After Benghazi Killings, US Proposed Criticizing Denigration of Religion,
France Said No: Likes Denigrating
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, September 14, 2012 updated below -- Two days after the UN
Security Council issued a press statement on the "Attacks against U.S.
Diplomatic Personnel" in Libya, Inner City Press has learned of a telling
back-and-forth in the Council prior to adoption of the statement.
The US Mission to the UN proposed the initial draft, which included a
phrase against the denigration of religion, Inner City Press has exclusively
been informed, then France opposed inclusion of that phrase, arguing among
other things that the French constitution is secular.
While this action too will have its reaction -- three Council members
paraphrased French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud that he likes and
takes pride in the freedom to denigrate religion, and two called this
outrageous -- the Council Press Statement was issued on September 12 without
anything on denigration of religion.
It is newsworthy, Council members emphasize to Inner City Press, both
that this US Mission to the UN proposed the phrase criticizing denigration
of religion, and that France -- where the Sarkozy-era spats about religious
jewelry and even halal butchers are apparently not over -- opposed it.
"There are other statements coming," a Security Council member told Inner
City Press at 4 pm on Friday. Watch this site.
Update of 7 pm -- Council members tell Inner City Press there IS another
press statement under the silence procedure, about the attacks on embassies
in Sudan.
Meanwhile the US had Vice President Biden call Sudanese Vice President
Taha. President Omar al-Bashir, of course, has been indicted by the
International Criminal Court for genocide. But that didn't stop Ban Ki-moon
from greeting, if not meeting, Bashir
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ban1bashir083112.html> . Priorities...
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On Embassy Attacks, Wittig Won't Answer on Denigration of Religion, Araud
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 14, 2012 -- After two days of protests of an
anti-Islamic YouTube video at embassies not only of the US but also the UK
and, notably, Germany in Sudan, this month's UN Security Council president
Peter Wittig of Germany came to the Council stakeout at 8:30 pm on Friday to
read a Council statement. Video here <
http://youtu.be/Ymho4IpDDpg> .
<
http://youtu.be/Ymho4IpDDpg>
When Wittig finished reading, Inner City Press asked him about what
several other Council members had told it earlier in the afternoon: that the
September 12 statement on the killing of US diplomats in Libya had initially
included a condemnation of the denigration of the religion -- that is, of
the murky film -- but that France's Ambassador Gerard Araud blocked it,
saying he was proud to have the freedom to denigrate religion.
Wittig answered, you certain don't expect me to speak about internal and
confidential deliberations of the Council." Then, brushing off Inner City
Press' follow up, he said that Germany's position is reflected in the
Council statement. Video here <
http://youtu.be/Ymho4IpDDpg> .
<
http://youtu.be/Ymho4IpDDpg>
But what several other Security Council members raised to Inner City Press
is that France and other European countries -- including Germany -- now cite
freedom of speech as a basis for not condemning the YouTube video, but have
laws against other forms of speech.
It gets divisive, and could be distinguished, but the comparison is
inevitable. Dodging it may not be the best approach.
Also on September 14, the US had its Vice President Joe Biden make the
call to his Sudanese counterpart, Vice President Taha.
Since President Barack Obama himself called Egypt's Morsi and then Yemen's
Hadi, it seemed clear that Obama wanted to avoid any talk with Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the International
Criminal Court for genocide.
But while the US seemed to excuse Libya for the attack, even as
anti-aircraft guns roared in Benghazi, in Sudan as it would be in Iran,
protests were blamed on the government, even as it killed protesters. On the
other hand, Sudan did bus protesters to the embassies. Watch this site.
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Received on Sat Sep 15 2012 - 17:07:22 EDT
