US will not attend UN Conference on Racism

[dilettante]

U.S. May Boycott U.N. Racism Conference Over Document



NEW YORK, Feb. 27 -- The Obama administration has said it will boycott a major U.N. conference on racism scheduled for April unless significant changes are made to the draft outcome document, which U.S. officials say unfairly singles out Israel for censure and could restrict freedom of speech.
A State Department official said that the current text is "unsalvageable" and that the United States would reconsider its position only if the negotiators stripped out provisions criticizing Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and recommendations for restrictions on the defamation of religions, an initiative by Islamic states that Washington fears could undercut free speech. The United States also opposes any language requiring reparations for slavery...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022702826.htmlApparently Canada and Israel have already announced their intentions to boycott the conference over similar issues.

I haven't been able to find anything actually giving the specific "objectionable" language. The whole Israel thing is to be expected, but I'm curious about the issues of religion/freedom-of-speech and reparations. Does anyone know precisely what the documents in question say about these things?

[Michael]

Apparently Canada and Israel have already announced their intentions to boycott the conference over similar issues.
Btw, when Canada has a Conservative government, Canada tends to vote at the UN on orders to support US positions (blindly).

It is to be noted that USA and Israel are two nations that go to great lengths to preserve a special status for their own pet religion and do like to attack/ridicule other religions as part of that same policy. Ergo, any 'restraint' on attacking/ridiculing the Islamic religion is unacceptable to them.

I haven't been able to find anything actually giving the specific "objectionable" language. The whole Israel thing is to be expected, but I'm curious about the issues of religion/freedom-of-speech and reparations. Does anyone know precisely what the documents in question say about these things?
I don't know, but I suspect anything that denies the right to criticize Islam is the key stumbling block. Islamic nations demand absolute restrictions on what can be said about Islam, while western nations stand on the principle of free speech that must always allow it. There is no ground for comprimise here. Free speech is not going to be comprimised by western nations in order to protect the dainty sensibilities of Muslims (and their knotted knickers over irreverent cartoons).

[dilettante]

I don't know, but I suspect anything that denies the right to criticize Islam is the key stumbling block. Islamic nations demand absolute restrictions on what can be said about Islam, while western nations stand on the principle of free speech that must always allow it. There is no ground for comprimise here. Free speech is not going to be comprimised by western nations in order to protect the dainty sensibilities of Muslims (and their knotted knickers over irreverent cartoons).

But are "western" nations united on this? I haven't seen anything about Britain, France, Germany...etc declaring they will not attend the conference.

That's why I'm curious what the actual language is.