NGOs appeal to UN Secretary-General and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to condemn infamous preaching of criminal hate against Jews by Lebanese TV affiliated to the Speaker of Parliament.
A report by David G. Littman, Representative of the Association for World Education (AWE) and the World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the UN in Geneva.
On 2 November we delivered to the Palais Wilson in Geneva an ‘Urgent Appeal’ by the Association for World Education, the Association of World Citizens, the International Humanist and Ethical Union and the World Union for Progressive Judaism– for the High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion Asma Jahangir, and Special Rapporteur on Racism Doudou Diène. It was faxed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and mailed to the 173 State Members, inter-governmental organizations & delegates to the UN in Geneva – and circulated to the media at the Palais des Nations.
These 4 NGOs – with over seven million members – are of the opinion that it would be highly damaging for the reputation of the United Nations if there is no condemnation of such a criminal propagation of “Judeophobia/ Antisemitism” – especially in view of constant charges and condemnations of “Islamophobia” by the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the UN Special Rapporteur on Racism, Doudou Diène. Human Rights Day will be celebrated on December 10, 2007. Silence on this screening of an infamous forgery on a TV Channel affiliated to the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who visited Geneva just before this reiterated propagation of a culture of hate, would speak volumes.
This ‘Urgent Appeal’ to the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner to Condemn this Lebanese propagation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion follows:
November 2, 2007 Your Excellencies,
We wish to express our deep dismay at the growing culture of hate toward Jews and Judaism in the Arab world, and elsewhere.
On 22 October 2007, the Lebanese TV Channel NBN – closely associated with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Beri – aired a report which presented as fact the century-old forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, that was infamously used by Hitler and by others since – especially on Arab TV channels. The following is a concluding quote from the programme:
“In The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the end justifies the means, and when the forces of society are in a state of disarray, the power of the Jews is stronger than that of anyone else.”
– “I have a final question about what is written in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion:
‘The Jews are entitled to treat the other peoples as animals, to corrupt them, to tear countries apart, to destroy the other nationalities, and to spread promiscuity and chaos.’ Some believe that the spreading of drugs is one of their means of taking control of non-Jewish peoples.”
– “I believe this is true, we must consider our responsibility – what we should do to overcome this plague, which is killing our society?”
Four years ago the new Alexandria Library was opened with the collaboration of UNESCO. The first exhibition in its manuscript museum purported to display the sacred texts of the three monotheistic religions. It included an Arabic translation of The Protocol of the Elders of Zion, exhibited alongside the Hebrew Bible in the section on Judaism. The Museum Director, Dr Yusef Ziedan, explained that: “…it is only natural to place the book [The Protocols] in the framework of an exhibit of Torah [scrolls]”…“it has become one of the sacred [tenets] of the Jews, next to their first constitution.” A protest from UNESCO’s Director–General Koichiro Matsuur led to its withdrawal from the Library a few days before the 55th UN Human Rights Day.
We are calling on you in your capacities as UN Secretary-General and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to speak out against this criminal use of fake documents and the promotion of hatred before the 59th Human Rights Day, and to react swiftly whenever any Member State of the United Nations, or national group such as Hamas, promotes hatred of the Jews, by using The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the 1840 “Damascus Affair” Blood Libel, or other forgeries.
Respectfully,
René V.L. Wadlow
David G. Littman
Roy W. Brown
NGO Representatives to the United Nations, Geneva (c/o Case Postale 205, 1196 Gland)
cc. Ms Asma Jahangir, UNSR on Freedom of Religion & Belief ; Mr Doudou Diène, UNSR on Racism