« Not sorry | Main | Around the World in 80 Canapés, cont... (Kiribati) »
September 20, 2006
Around the World in 80 Canapés
I've been browsing through the various speeches from the delegates to the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly (aka "the annual bid to exhaust world supplies of lobster, Pomerol and hypocrisy"). There's a lot of predictable tat in there, obviously, but a few rare nuggets of insight and a few interesting/odd/frightening perspectives as well. I will post them as I find them, with no (or little) comment offered.
Let's start with our critical ally in the War on Terror, General Purvez Musharraf, President of Pakistan:
While we confront terrorism, our strategy must seek to eliminate this phenomenon comprehensively. We cannot do so unless we understand and address the root causes of terrorism today. How are terrorists able to find willing recruits even among educated youth in advanced and democratic societies? The reasons are clear.
Across the Muslim world, old conflicts and new campaigns of military intervention have spawned a deep sense of desperation and injustice. Each new battleground involving an Islamic state has served as a new breeding ground for extremists and terrorists. Indiscriminate bombings, civilian casualties, torture, human rights abuses, racial slurs and discrimination only add to the challenge of defeating terrorism.
In my view a two pronged strategy, which I call "Enlightened Moderation", is required to address the situation. This strategy envisages that, apart from combating terrorism frontally, the international community must undertake resolute efforts to resolve the conflicts afflicting the Islamic world. Unless we end foreign occupation and suppression of Muslim peoples, terrorism and extremism will continue to find recruits among alienated Muslims in various parts of the world.
We also need to bridge, through dialogue and understanding, the growing divide between the Islamic and Western worlds. In particular, it is imperative to end racial and religious discrimination against Muslims and to prohibit the defamation of Islam. It is most disappointing to see personalities of high standing oblivious of Muslim sensitivities at these critical moments.
It is time to end Israel's conflicts with all its neighbours. It is time, first and foremost, to end the tragedy of Palestine. There is no doubt in our mind that this is the core of the challenge, not only to overcome the Iraq and Afghanistan problems, but also to deal with the menace of terrorism and extremism.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil:
Aside from the countries directly involved, Middle Eastern issues have always been dealt with exclusively by the great powers. They have achieved no solution so far.
One might then ask: is it not time to call a broad, UN-sponsored Conference, with the participation of countries of the region and others that could contribute through their capacity and successful experience, in living peacefully with differences?
Brazil believes in dialogue. For this reason we held a South America-Arab Countries Summit in 2005. We also have good relations with Israel, whose birth as a state came about when a Brazilian, Osvaldo Aranha, presided over the General Assembly.
Conflicts among nations are not solved only by money and weapons. Ideas, values and feelings also have a place, particularly when based on real-life experience.
Posted by Chris Selley at September 20, 2006 11:33 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.tartcider.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/513
Comments
I had planned on doing a post called "Highlights from the UN open mic", but you've beaten me to it... or, I might just steal your research and pawn it off as my own, I haven't decided which.
Posted by: Olaf at September 21, 2006 12:26 AM
"...and to prohibit the defamation of Islam."
Yeh, well, I guess we don't need free speech, anyhow.
Posted by: Sean at September 21, 2006 03:53 AM
I definitely stand against any move to prohibit the defamation of Islam. Or any other religion. While I respect religion, and appreciate the positive role it can play in the lives of many, no religion is greater or better than another. Well, except Scientology - they're mostly all better than it.
Posted by: Jason B. Green at September 21, 2006 07:04 PM