The OIC’s Crusade Against Islamophobia

Regular readers know that we try to keep up with the latest shenanigans of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), with the help of our ever-vigilant Danish correspondent TB, who reads everything.

Last week I reported on the OIC’s ten-point plan to combat Islamophobia in the West, which was drafted during a two-day conference in Kuala Lumpur. But the struggle against Islamophobia never rests; it continues twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The latest news concerns a speech given a few days ago by the Secretary General of the OIC, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, at the thirty-fifth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC in Kampala, Uganda.

Prof. Ihsanoglu still focuses on the fight against Western Islamophobia as his number one priority. Wherever it may be found, Islamophobia must be rooted out.

Here’ what the esteemed professor said (with my emphasis added):

In face of the adverse and mounting phenomenon of Islamophobia in the West, we placed this issue at the top of our priorities and preoccupations, while conducting a large-scale world-wide effort to confront it at four levels:

First: The official level of countries and governments of the West, where this phenomenon is rampant and wide-spread. We have exhorted the officials in these countries to assume their inherent legal responsibilities in order to stem this illegal trend in conformity with international and domestic laws which prohibit discrimination based on incitement to hatred towards individuals or groups because of their religion, race, or other grounds.

Note that our infidel legal responsibilities are inherent, that is, they are intrinsic to our laws, or ought to be. If our laws do not proscribe Islamophobia in all its forms, then they are not in accord with international law, and hence must be changed.

Prof. Ihsanoglu continued with his next point:

Second: The level of major international organizations, such as the United Nations General Assembly in New York or the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as organisations concerned with Dialogue among Civilizations, or inter-religious and interfaith dialogue.

The UNHRC, as I mentioned last week, ruled off-limits any mention of the oppression experienced by people who live under sharia. It’s totally in the pocket of the OIC, so it’s no wonder that the OIC wants to work at that level.
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As for “interfaith dialogue” — the latest Saudi-sponsored event of that nature will take place in Madrid next month. The choice of Madrid, as Dhimmi Watch points out, is significant for two reasons. First, it’s actually legal there for Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. to practice their faith and possess copies of their sacred texts — unlike in, say, Medina.

Secondly, the event is taking place in the heart of al-Andalus, the ideal Multicultural empire from Islam’s Golden Age. There’s no mistaking the symbolism of that.

The Secretary General continues his enumerations:

Third: Renowned academic institutions, intellectual and research centers, and think-tank circles.

By “renowned academic institutions” he presumably means Harvard, Georgetown, and many other universities in the United States, Canada, and Britain on which the Saudis have lavished at least a billion dollars over the last two decades to endow chairs and set up departments of “Islamic Studies”.

The OIC is obviously expecting a big anti-Islamophobic bang for its buck.

Finally:

Fourth: The level of the OIC Islamophobia Observatory, which we have established in order to monitor and document all manifestation of this scourge, and to deal with them in an interactive manner.

I’ve mentioned the Islamophobia Observatory previously. Since its inception last year, the OIC’s watchdog has been busy. In a report issued in March, it had this to say:

It also notes Resolution 60/150 of the 60th UN General Assembly Session on standing up to the tarnishing of the image of religions and calls for respecting beliefs and not insulting them.

The resolution reflects the international community’s readiness to root out discrimination against Muslims and insulting Islam.

As for non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil societies, the report notes their important role in standing up to discrimination against Muslims living in non-Muslim societies.

It mentions the two sessions held by the UN General Assembly on the role of NGOs in creating understanding between religions, cultures and cooperation to achieve peace.

On recommendations, the report notes that the observatory’s main goal, as stipulated in the Ten-Year Action Program, is to correct the distorted image of Islam and to highlight its teachings of moderation, peace and tolerance.

Notice that the Observatory has a ten-year action plan. Islam thinks in the long term. There’s no politician in the United States who can think past the first week of next November, and none in Europe who pays any attention past whatever time the Treaty of Lisbon manages to get shoved through. But Islam takes the long view of things.

Back to Prof. Ihsanoglu’s speech, which continued with this:

Taken together, this plan has proven its merit and we have been able to achieve convincing progress at all these levels mainly the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the UN General Assembly.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted similar resolutions against the defamation of Islam.

The OIC’s efforts will involve NGOs — most of which, being hard-left collaborators, are guaranteed to toe the anti-Islamophobic line — and the UN General Assembly, in which the OIC already commands a majority.

How can they possibly fail? As long as we keep paying for the UN rope, there’s no doubt that we’re going to be hanged with it.

The Secretary General concluded:

In confronting the Danish cartoons and the Dutch film “Fitna”, we sent a clear message to the West regarding the red lines that should not be crossed. As we speak, the official West and its public opinion are all now well-aware of the sensitivities of these issues. They have also started to look seriously into the question of freedom of expression from the perspective of its inherent responsibility, which should not be overlooked.

He’s not mistaken: any number of Western governments, along with their quasi-official media organs, are looking seriously into the question of freedom of expression. Sweden, Britain, France, and other countries have recently discovered that free speech does not include the right to defame Islam.

The OIC’s plan is clearly laid out, and is well underway.

Expect them to beat their ten-year deadline.


Hat tips: Fjordman for the Dhimmi Watch article; TB for everything else.