I read with interest your editorial and story about the Durban-II conference in Geneva (Crescent, 05-09). The West’s hypocrisy in citing others’ misdeeds, real or imagined, but living in denial about its own crimes came through clearly. Your point about the West’s modus operandi to control every agenda is crucial to understanding such events.
This was evident in Geneva as well. While some countries boycotted the conference to exert pressure on the participants, especially the organizers, to prevent any serious discussion of Western and Zionist crimes, the West still managed to hijack the agenda. The final declaration failed to mention Zionist crimes except in an oblique manner. While this does not mean that the Zionists are not guilty of such crimes or that the West has not perpetrated such crimes in the past as well as the present but their influence is evident.
What this points to is that even at a forum where a clear majority of countries is in favour of action against racism and xenophobia the West is able to manipulate such events because organizations like the UN are its creation. Muslims must understand that as long as there are “permanent” members of the Security Council with veto-wielding powers and UN officials bow before colonialist and imperialist powers, there can be neither peace nor justice in the world.
Shaukat Ali Khan
Frankfurt, Germany
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