Live from Durban - Staring down Ahmadinejad

 Among the 200 odd Jewish students representing the Jewish people at the United Nation 'Racism' Review Conference (Durban 2) is former SAUJS Chairlady Caylee Talpert.  She has offered to blog for us live from Durban 2. Below is her first installment of yesterday's shocking events. How can it be, we must ask, that a UN conference dedicated to fighting racism could invite as a key note speaker a Holocaust denier - on Holocaust memorial day?

Caylee and all the other Jewish students who are standing up and opposing this hypocricy deserve our lasting respect. I, having been a delegate at Durban 1, know how rough it can get. One literally stares pure hatred in the face. But face it down we must if the words 'never again' are to have any meaning.
 

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Today I spent Yom Hashoah somewhat differently to what I’m used to in South Africa, sitting in the hot sun at Great Park Cemetery each year watching a ceremony. Instead, I spent the day at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the very institution established with the intention of preventing further Genocides and atrocities in the 21st Century; In the very city where the Avian Conference took place prior to the Holocaust, effectively guaranteeing the world’s indifference in the face of the Nazi onslaught and eventually extermination of 6 million Jews.

This week I am attending the World Review Conference against Racism, Racial intolerance Xenophobia and other forms of Discrimination. I am here on behalf of SAUJS as part of a delegation organised by The European Union of Jewish students (EUJS) and working together with WUJS and Jewish students from around the word. The name of the conference is quite a mouthful but undeniably suggests worthy aspirations. However, unfortunately as those familiar with the first such conference in Durban in 2001 know well, the conference’s impact doesn’t go much further than its noble sounding title and in fact in 2001 did the exact opposite, offering a showcase of some of the worst anti-Semitism the world has seen since the Holocaust. In fact what becomes evident is that if anything, anti-Semitism and indifference and the way in which they paralyze international bodies are to a large extent still responsible for allowing the continuation of many of the atrocities in the world today.

The day begun with a demonstration outside the UN where as a group of diverse students from all over the world taped their mouths shut (no small task for students) and held posters protesting the silence of the UN on some of the most tragic human rights violations of our time. Our posters displayed graphic pictures ranging from abuse of women, to murder of gays, child-abuse and the Genocide in Darfur. Perhaps the most moving part however was when a young Sudanese couple who were walking past asked to join us in the protest, taping their mouths shut and standing alongside us as part of our demonstration. Unfortunately, however, once our demonstration had concluded, we heard little further mention of these crimes the rest of the day. In fact, instead of hearing anything about Human Rights, the conference and all discussions became focussed almost exclusively on the notorious president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinijad and his speech that afternoon. Despite the fact that this was already the second such UN address by the fervent racist the real insult was that it was at the Human Rights Council, on Yom Hashoah and with a personal welcome from the Swiss President, you couldn’t stage a greater mockery of the conference if you tried. Granted the EU delegation and some other delegations walked out (interestingly this even included Jordan) when Ahmadinijad began spewing his racism, hatred and anti-Semitism, but the question remains, why was he there in the first place? How do you explain to the Iranian citizens protesting outside why the man who’s still oppressing their families at home was given an almost hero’s welcome and great applause within the HUMAN RIGHTS Council at a conference on RACISM. Hypocrisy? The UN? No way!

As for SA, well obviously walking out was never an option- to take a public stand on racism...come on now-that’s just not SA’s foreign policy! Foreign Monster Nkosazama Dlamini Zuma did address the assembly shortly after, she did indirectly condemn Ahmadinijad in that she opposed the conference being used as a forum for hatred but anything stronger than that-well that’s just pushing it... this was a “positive speech.” Or at least when you put it into the context that it was South Africa that introduced the current abbreviated reference to the Holocaust into the Draft Outcome Document because it felt the previous document placed too much emphasis on the Holocaust (which is only the worst human rights atrocity of all time). But perhaps I’m being too cynical; after all if Deputy Foreign Minister Hajaig had been our representative she may have been more inclined to commend Ahmadinijad. After all Ahmadinijad did close in calling for us “not to forget the essence of every human being and to make the world a better place.”

So it was an interesting day with lots to contemplate as I sat at the Geneva Jewish Community’s Holocaust memorial this evening, in front of the famous three legged chair, a monument to land mine victims and with the flags of the 182 UN members waving in the background. (Considering the fact that the entire ceremony was in French which I don’t understand a word of, I had plenty of time to contemplate.) I began to question why I was here as well as the almost 200 other Jewish students from around the world that are here with me and the countless Jewish organisations all represented at the conference. And I realised that I had to be there, that the conference deals with the two things most important to me in the whole world: the Jewish people, and by extension the State of Israel and Human Rights, the two being in my mind intimately connected. I’ve always cared deeply about Human Rights, perhaps it’s because of my identity as a Jew growing up as the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor that caused me to care so much; or perhaps its growing up in South Africa where despite being born after the horrors of Apartheid it’s still very much an integral part of my consciousness, or perhaps it’s the Tutsi survivors I heard speak on my trip to Rwanda last year and the gruesome sites I was exposed to on that trip or the stories of the Sudanese refugees I am now working with in Israel. All of these factors culminate in making it virtually impossible for me not to care about human rights, to want to end the horrors that are still so prevalent and affect so many people in the world today.

And the second reason I was there, is Israel, is because I’m Jewish and because when people try delegitimising the country that offers the only guarantee to my people that a Holocaust can never happen again, I care. Especially in a world where such atrocities still exist and are known and yet continue nevertheless. I need to defend the Jewish state, even if I have my own reservations, even if some of their policies I myself don’t agree with. In a world where a man calling for Israel’s destruction is given a central platform to voice his call for the state’s Annihilation, effectively a call to genocide, by the UN’s own definition, I have to care, I have to be there and to speak out and make my voice heard. However, it’s not only because I feel a need to defend Israel from unjustified attack and effectively discrimination when it is the only state singled out in a world full of state atrocities. What bothers me about the UN and particularly the Human rights Council’s obsessive focus on Israel is that the real human rights violators, the countries that allow for the stoning of women, children forced into becoming murderers as child soldiers or hanging people on the basis of their sexuality do not get discussed. Anti-Semitism has hijacked the human rights council and we as Jews need to use our voices to try change this, not only for ourselves but for victims all over the world, so that their rights are protected and dealt with and so that conferences on Racism can actually address the noble goals they set out to achieve.

Comments

[Castor Troye]

Excellent article Caylee.

I commend all the Jewish groups and governments that actively boycotted this farce from the start.

I don't think that we should commend the western nations for walking out during the speech. As you put it, the damage is done, they were there in the first place. A 1st grader could have predicted what mahmud would say. Unfortunately, the mere fact that the UN and western nations gave this bigot a platform means that his views have been advertised across the world with tacit condonation by the UN.

Weeks from now, the walk out by some pseudo-sympathetic governments during the speech will be forgotten by the mass viewers and only the resonating and increasingly digestible allegations of this evil man will remain in the average man's thoughts.

[Dee]

I think that the walk-out was much more dramatic and attention-grabbing than empty seats would have been. I agree they shouldn't have been there in the first place, but that image is going to stick with people much longer than a press release stating reasons for not attending.

Well done to those countries that walked out! And congrats to whoever managed to smuggle in the clown wigs and noses.

[Skipper]

I agree with Dee, the terrorist was going to say his words regardless. Seeing the leaders leave will no doubt have more impact than having the camera pan over empty seats.

[JoeTalin]

Good for you Caylee. Stand strong.

[Aharon]

Great coverage...well done Caylee

[Aharon]

Cant quite see what the posters all say...anyone help?

[mike cato]

It is high time that the UN be made to reappear
as 1. a parking lot 2. a homeless shelter 3. a luxury hotel 4. a condo developement

[Lawrence]

"How can it be, we must ask, that a UN conference dedicated to fighting racism could invite as a key note speaker a Holocaust denier - on Holocaust memorial day?"

I think it entirey appropriate and symbolic, even though the symbolism is unintentional. The UN is a a bastion of hypocrisy, anti-Semitism and is essentially fascist in its make-up and outlook, hence it is entirely appropriate for the UN to be honest about what it is and have a Holocaust denier and Hitler-wanna-be addressing a UN Jew-hate conference on Holocaust Memorial day. This is the most telling symbolism of what the UN is all about.

[Gill Katz]

Deepest thank you to all of you who protested, and congratulations on the manner in which you did.
We can all hold our heads up high.

[Yehuda]

Well done to all the brave students willing to give of their own time to stand up for the rest of us.

[marcelle]

Disband 'United Nations'..lets have a name...and organisation in direct contrast to this now foul body of certain Nations...Disunited Nations is more appropiate and let it be known that it is 'EAST VERSUS WEST'..DO NOT BE SILENT DO NOT BE AFRAID DO NOT ALLOW EVIL TO GAIN ANOTHER STEP IN THE FANATIC ISLAMIC PLAN