A Danish Socialist Speaks Out

One thing that makes Denmark different from the rest of the West is the fact that even Danish Socialists oppose Islamization and speak out strongly against unlimited immigration into Denmark.

Villy Søvndal is a member of the Danish Parliament and the chairman of the Socialist People’s Party. He has spoken out in the past against the Islamists in his country, and his latest piece in yesterday’s Jyllands-Posten concerns the upcoming UN conference on racism, commonly known as “Durban II”.

Henrik of Europe News has kindly translated the op-ed for Gates of Vienna:

The UN must not give in to Islamic criticism

By Villy Søvndal

This spring the UN Human Rights Council will be hosting a large conference on racism.

While it is praiseworthy to work against racism and discrimination, there is still ample reason to be on guard against the pressure from some Islamic countries at this particular conference.

For under cover of a noble purpose, representatives from a series of undemocratic regimes are trying to turn criticism of religion into a violation of human rights. The very same countries that stone women and homosexuals in the name of religion and deprive their citizens the right of free speech are now trying to shut the mouths of people anywhere who dare to criticize Islam, Christianity and other religions. They must not succeed at this.

Daily violations

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is leading the struggle to ban the “defamation of religion”. With support from China and Russia, representatives of dubious Islamic regimes are now occupying key positions and have a firm grip on the controversial UN conference.

The chairman of the planning committee, for instance, comes from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, and at the suggestion of Libya, Iran has become a member of the inner circle drafting the proposed final declaration of the conference.

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It is hardly surprising that the Iranian theocracy gladly assumes such a task, considering the long list of transgressions perpetrated by the regime on a daily basis: Closures of critical newspapers, Internet censorship, jailing of journalists. Workers and students who protest face bans, imprisonment and torture. Capital punishment is incurred for homosexuality and infidelity. Some of those condemned are even today executed in public by stoning or hanging. And now the mullahs intend to tell us that criticism of religion constitutes a violation of human rights. If this wasn’t a very serious issue, it would be obviously ridiculous. [literally: “something to die laughing over” — translator]

This is a crafty maneuver — from the point of view of countries like Libya, Pakistan and Iran. These countries have, as do many other Islamic countries, serious problems with human rights. “Absolving” them from criticism of religion, which would include dogma in the Sharia system, would clear the countries of the strongly incriminating issues raised over and over, concerning the stoning of women, the jailing of victims of rape for adultery (as in Afghanistan, Pakistan), etc.

Criticism of religion

In other words, including criticism of religion as a human rights violation will be the beginning of the end of the concept of human rights as we know it. This would put every democratic country under pressure concerning freedom of expression, freedom of the press — and stifle every attempt to pressure a lot of states worldwide towards equal rights for women and respect for the most fundamental of human rights.

If the West gives in on this issue, for fear of “hurting religious sentiment”, hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide, not least women and activists for democracy, will be indefinitely left to the mercy of dictators, fundamentalists and religious reactionaries.

For democratic socialists — actually, for all democratically-minded humans — it must be crystal clear that religion is not above criticism. In a democracy everything is subject to debate and criticism. This is healthy and proper — although some will risk being offended by this.

Henrik adds these notes

Note 1:

Googling “Durban II” gives a wealth of relevant links on the problems:

• Eye on the UN
  
• NRO
  
• Jerusalem Post
  
• UN Watch
  
• Sign and Sight

Note 2:

Revoking Islam’s status as a ‘religion’ (it really isn’t) would solve the problem.

Note 3:

I found an original link on Villy Søvndal’s blog (in Danish):


Hat tip: TB.