MBVD: Freedom of Opinion and Expression

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Freedom of Opinion and Expression

At their October 2, 2009 meeting, the miserably misnamed United Nations Human Rights Council under agenda item 3:

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL,
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS,
INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

passed, without a vote, a draft resolution submitted jointly by Egypt and the United States, entitled: Freedom of opinion and expression.

If any resolution has ever been given a more Orwellian title, I am unaware of it. While superficially appearing to recognize and protect freedom of expression, in reality it threatens that freedom. Eye on the UN has made the resolution available in the form of an eight page pdf file: A/HRC/12/L.l4/Rev.

Since the file was made from a scanned image, FreeOCR.net was used to make text available for quoting, which compelled the complete reconstruction of the document's format. I have retained the original spelling. The resolution makes reference to two external documents:

the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (A/I-IRC/11/4).

The pattern of deception begins in the preamble. [Emphasis added.]

Deeply concerned that violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression continue to occur, including increased attacks directed against, and killings of, journalists and media workers, and stressing the need to ensure greater protection for all media professionals and for journalistic sources,

News agencies, human rights groups and decent people are concerned about assaults against and murder of journalists; the repressive regimes who perpetrate those evil acts are not, theirs are crocodile tears. Egypt has a record of jailing and torturing bloggers.

Stressing the need to ensure that the invocation of national security, including counter-terrorism, is not used unjustifiably or arbitrarily to restrict the right to freedom of opinion and expression,

That appears to be a reference to the Patriot Act. I am not aware of any offenses against freedom of expression being carried out under its provisions. Muslims love to unjustly accuse us of using national security as a cover for imaginary repression of Muslims.

Stressing also the importance of the full respect for the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, including the fundamental importance of access to information, democratic participation, accountability and combating corruption,

Stressing importance of freedom? No, stretching the truth past the shear point. The resolution is designed to impair our freedom to receive and impart information.

Recognizing the importance of all forms of the media, including the printed media, radio, television and the Internet, in the exercise, promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression,

That is boilerplate. Observe the following text lifted from The right to freedom of opinion and expression Human Rights Resolution 2005/38.

Recognizing the importance of all forms of the media, including the print media, radio, television and the Internet, in the exercise, promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression,

In point #9, they skim lightly over the truth, almost exposing it to view.

Recognizes the positive contribution that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, particularly by the media, including through information and communication technologies such as the Internet, and full respect for the freedom to seek, receive and impart information can make to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to preventing human rights abuses, but expresses regret at the promotion by certain media of false images and negative stereotypes of vulnerable individuals or groups of individuals, and at the use of information and communication technologies such as the Internet for purposes contrary to respect for human rights, in particular the perpetration of violence against and exploitation and abuse of women and children, and disseminating racist and xenophobic discourse or content;

Racism

The media can make a positive contribution to the fight against racism, ... related intolerance... Those are code words for 'Islamophobia'.
The following quote is from Preliminary document of the African Regional Conference Preparatory to the Durban Review Conference

Emphasizes the urgent need to address the scourges of anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, and Islamophobia as contemporary forms of racism as well as racial and violent movements based on racism and discriminatory ideas directed at African, Arab, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other communities;

'Islamophobia' is code for opposition to Islamic supremacism, triumphalism, conquest, genocide & terrorism. Phobia implies irrational fear or loathing. but there is nothing irrational about loathing a war cult that has murdered 270 million people in the last 1386 years.

Negative Stereotypes

Combating defamation of religions revised draft resolution

7. Expresses deep concern in this respect that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism;

O11.5 [Reliance of the Traveller]

Such non-Muslim subjects are obliged to comply with Islamic rules that pertain to the safety and indemnity of life, reputation, and property. In addition, they:

-1- are penalized for committing adultery or theft, thought not for drunkenness;

-2- are distinguished from Muslims in dress, wearing a wide cloth belt (zunnar);

-3- are not greeted with "as-Salamu 'alaykum";

-4- must keep to the side of the street;

-5- may not build higher than or as high as the Muslims' buildings, though if they acquire a tall house, it is not razed;

-6- are forbidden to openly display wine or pork, (A: to ring church bells or display crosses,) recite the Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays;

-7- and are forbidden to build new churches.

(For further information about Islam's human rights violations, download Islam vs Human Rights.)

Agreed Draft Resolution on the Elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief

13. Also emphasixes that no religion should be equated with terrorism, as this may have adverse consequences on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief of all members of the religious communities concerned,

We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve 3:151
I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes 8:12
So if you gain the mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson. 8:57
Make ready then against them what force ye can, and strong squadrons whereby ye may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy, 8:60
I have been made victorious with terror Sahih Bukhari 4.52.220

Recalling that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities, in accordance with article 19 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Article 19

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.

Telling the truth about Islam, as revealed by its own canon of scripture, tradition, exegeses & jurisprudence is not slander. It does not violate anyone's rights, and affects only the reputation of Islam. Public order is not disturbed by revealing Islam's pecadillos, it is disturbed by the Muslim's reaction to revelation of the truth: riots incited by rabble rousing Imams at Juma Prayer meetings.

Recalling also that States should encourage free, responsible and mutually respectful dialogue,

Reaffirms the rights contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in particular the right of everyone to hold opinions without interference, as well as the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media of their choice, and the intrinsically linked rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, peaceful assembly and association and the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs;
Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (A/HRC/l 1/4), as well as his presentation and the interactive dialogue thereon at its eleventh session;

Following a meeting on 9 December 2008, as part of the Global Forum on World Media
Development (held 7-10 December 2008 in Athens), the Special Rapporteur, along with the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the
Media, Miklos Haraszti, the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression, Catalina Botero, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Faith Pansy
Tlakula, issued a joint declaration on defamation of religions, and anti-terrorism and
anti-extremism legislation. The declaration noted that the concept of “defamation of religions”
did not accord with international standards regarding defamation and that restrictions on freedom
of expression should be limited in scope to the protection of overriding individual rights and
social interests. Restrictions should never be used to protect particular institutions or abstract
notions, concepts or beliefs, including religious ones. The declaration further noted that
restrictions on freedom of expression to prevent intolerance should be limited in scope to
advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination,
hostility or violence and it encouraged the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council to
desist from further adoption of statements supporting the idea of defamation of religions.
[Pg. 8, #24]

The Special Rapporteur notes that freedom of expression is the manifestation of cultures,
cultural diversity, religion and ideologies. Therefore, the right to freedom of expression should
be approached with a positive view to defending it. Existing international instruments establish a
specific limit on freedom of expression. In particular, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights provides that “any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes
incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law”. The main
challenge thus lies in identifying at which point these thresholds are reached. A broad
interpretation of these limitations, which has recently been suggested in international forums, is
not in line with existing international instruments and would ultimately jeopardize the full
enjoyment of human rights. Limitations to the right to freedom of opinion and expression have
more often than not been used by States as a means to restrict criticism and silence dissent.
[Pg. 11, #39]

Limitations on freedom of expression should be clearly defined and provided by law.
Limitations should not threaten the exercise of the right itself. In addition, they ought to be
necessary and proportionate to the objective they propound to achieve, and should include the
least intrusive means insofar as freedom of expression is concerned, to prevent a chilling effect.
The adjudication of such limitations should be made by an independent judiciary. [Pg. 11, #40]

Also expresses its concern that incidents of racial and religious intolerance, discrimination and related violence, as well as of negative racial and religious stereotyping continue to rise around the world, and condemns, in this context, any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and urges States to take effective measures, consistent with their obligations under international human rights law, to address and combat such incidents;

Advocacy of Religious Hatred

Sounds terrible, does it not? But the level of abstraction is excessive; lets bring it down to the concrete by displaying its meaning in the real world.

Reuters quotes U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about Fitna:

“There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence,” Ban said in a statement. “The right of free expression is not at stake here.”

The man chiefly responsible for enforcing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that there is no right to tell the truth about Islam. [Emphasis added for clarity.] Fitna is not hate speech nor is it incitement; it accurately depicts Islamic hate speech and incitement.

The pending trial of Geert Wilders on charges of hate speech is a prime example of the violation of freedom of expression intended by the sponsors of this resolution.

#5 "Calls upon states",. among other things to:

h. To promote a pluralistic approach to information and multiple points of view by encouraging a diversity of ownership of media and of sources of information, including mass media, through, inter alia, transparent licensing systems and effective regulations on undue concentration of ownership of the media in the private sector;

That gem of bureaucracy is in line with Mark LLoyd's The Center for American Progress report, "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio" which discusses the "Imbalance" in talk radio programming. Their attitude holds talk radio to be unfairly dominated by Conservative talk show hosts; they seed ways and means of increasing the number and proportion of Socialist talk show hosts and broadcast hours.

Simply reinstating the Fairness Doctrine will do little to address the gap between conservative and progressive talk unless the underlying elements of the public trustee doctrine are enforced, in particular, the requirements of local accountability and the reasonable airing of important matters.

License renewal previously required local engagement with the community—the solicitation of local feedback on programming and accountable public reporting of this input so that the FCC could determine if the broadcaster was upholding its public interest responsibilities. Now licenses are renewed by “postcard,” a stamp in the corner of a scrap of paper now substitutes for all of the local interaction, very little of which is still required by law. Without these policies fostering local responsiveness, the move toward lowest common denominator syndicated programming was facilitated.

When you read that report, you will learn that shortening the renewal period, imposing local advisory boards and transferring ownership to minorities are intended to reduce the airing of criticism of President Obama's Socialist agenda.

Media Self Censorship

Recognizes the moral and social responsibilities of the media and the importance that the media's own elaboration of voluntary codes of professional ethical conduct can play in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

The code words for 'Islamophobia' make another appearance. It is obvious that #8 is a demand for self censorship by the media.

Orwellian Doublespeak

Reaffirms the positive role that the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the full respect for the freedom to seek, receive and impart information can play in strengthening democracy, combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in line with relevant provisions of international human rights law

Freedom of expression has a positive role in combating 'Islamophobia'. Yeah, right, we are free to praise Islam, but not to accurately describe and condemn it.

Recognizes that the open public debate of ideas, as well as interfaith and intercultural dialogue at the local, national, and international levels, can be among the best protections against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and can play a positive role in strengthening democracy and combating national, racial or religious hatred;

Open public debate of ideas is impossible when some ideas are proscribed by law or regulations. The authors of this resolution seek to outlaw all criticism of Islam, making it illegal to reveal the fact that Islam is a war cult, not a "religion of peace". They would outlaw revealing the foundational aspects of Jihad, genocide & terrorism. They would not allow us to discuss Islamic laws which oppress and discriminate against women and religious minorities. They would silence us when we write about the insidious encroachments of Shari'ah, lawfare & demographic conquest.

While seeking to infringe on free expression, they falsely assert that they are protecting it. President Bush made a show of being on the outside, condemning the UNHRC's attacks against free speech. President Obama has joined our attackers and is actively participating in an attempt to censor us.

Take Action!

The time for taking action has come. I urge my readers to visit the web site of a new movement to Impeach President Obama and join the movement. President Obama is obviously part of the problem, not part of the solution. This on line petition for Impeachment has 3,355 signatures add your signature to the list and urge everyone you can influence to endorse the petition.

The United Nations has been taken over by the enemy and is being used against us. There is no real possibility of reforming it. Now is the time to get out of that perverted institution. I urge you to sign, publicize and promote the Quit the U.N petition.

The evil doctrines of Islam including Jihad, genocide, terrorism and supremacism are static violations of ICCPR, ICERD & CPPCG.
The International Qur'an Petition contains sufficient evidence to substantiate that charge. It prays to the World Court for injunctive relief. Please endorse it, send it to your Congressman & Senators and to everyone in your email address book. The International Qur'an Petition is our best way to turn their own tactics against them. If not now when? If not us, Who? If we do not unite and apply great political pressure, we will loose our liberty forever. We must not let that happen!

SOLDIER"S ANGELS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The Veterans Hospital in Tucson needs our help!!! They have contacted Soldiers' Angels with a list of needs for their patients. Soldiers Angels needs your help in making some of these come true.

Below you will find just a small portion of needs that are immediate. You can also find this list posted on the Soldiers Angels Forum at www.soldiersangelsforum.com you will be able to find lots of great information there for our deployed and vets.

If you are sending a monetary donation please follow the link and indicate the State you are in.

Donate here;
Ttp://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=veterans-support

COMFORT ITEMS- $350/MO
Dry Skin Cream
Slipper Socks-No skid
Catheter bag covers
Shaving Cream
Hand Lotion
Baby Shampoo
Hand Soap
Roll on/Spray Deodorant
Denture Cleaner
Underwear (men and women (all sizes)
Toothbrushes
Denture Grip
Socks (white)
Talcum Powder
Nail Clippers
Toothpaste
Ladies hand and body lotion
Backpacks
Disposable Razors
Comb/Brushes
Shawls
Shaving Cream/small
Knitted Caps
Travel Alarm Clocks
Ball Caps
Tote Bags
Shower Shoes
Pocket Size Needle and Thread Kit
Heart pillows for cardiac patients
Lap Robes (3x5 or 5x7)

GUEST SERVICES
30 cup coffee makers
Coffee supplies (reg. & decaf)
Music CDs
Stamps
Writing Paper and Envelopes
Prepaid Phone Cards for patients’

RECREATION
Puzzle books
Crossword Puzzles
Pencils
Video tapes & DVDs (movies, educational)
DVD Player

Sports equipment (basketball, tennis rackets &
Tickets for entertainment & sporting events
Balls, badminton set, Frisbees, football)

If you can send just one item that would be great!!! If each person sends one thing we will make a difference! They are also needing those who can volunteer time at the hospital just contact the Voluntary Services Dept. For information.

Mail Items to:

Department of Veterans Affairs Southern Arizona VA Health Care System – Voluntary Services 9-135, 3601 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723

PLEASE HELP US HELP THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM!

My Favorite Speeches and Other Items of Interest

George Bush's March 28, 2007 Discusses Economy, War on Terror During Remarks to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association;http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070328-2.html
Mitch McConnell's March 15, 2007 Funding For Troops, Not Timelines for Retreat; http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=270747&start=1
Ronald Reagan's June 12, 1987 Tear Down This Wall Speech; http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/wall.asp
Vice President Cheney's March 12, 2007 Remarks at the AIPAC 2007 Policy Conference; http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070312.html

Winston Churchill Quotes

A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him.
Although personally I am quite content with existing explosives, I feel we must not stand in the path of improvement.
Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter.
Danger - if you meet it promptly and without flinching - you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
I always seem to get inspiration and renewed vitality by contact with this great novel land of yours which sticks up out of the Atlantic.
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
I like a man who grins when he fights.
I was only the servant of my country and had I, at any moment, failed to express her unflinching resolve to fight and conquer, I should at once have been rightly cast aside.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous whack.
In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.
It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.
Moral of the Work. In war: resolution. In defeat: defiance. In victory: magnanimity. In peace: goodwill.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
Never, never, never give up.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism.
One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
The first quality that is needed is audacity.
The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards so that he can breathe without letting go.
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.
There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.
These are not dark days: these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived.
They are decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent.
True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.
Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin, keep out of the way till you can.
War is mainly a catalogue of blunders.
We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.
When the eagles are silent the parrots begin to jabber.
When you are winning a war almost everything that happens can be claimed to be right and wise.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Ronald Reagan Quotes

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.
All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk.
Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources
Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.
Double, no triple, our troubles and we'd still be better off than any other people on earth. It is time that we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause.
Facts are stupid things.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.
History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.
How can a president not be an actor?
How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.
I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.
I will stand on, and continue to use, the figures I have used, because I believe they are correct. Now, I'm not going to deny that you don't now and then slip up on something; no one bats a thousand.
In Israel, free men and women are every day demonstrating the power of courage and faith. Back in 1948 when Israel was founded, pundits claimed the new country could never survive. Today, no one questions that. Israel is a land of stability and democracy in a region of tryanny and unrest.
Let us ask ourselves; "What kind of people do we think we are?".
Man is not free unless government is limited.
My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out.
No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.
Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.
Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act.
Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.
Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.
The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas - a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.
The United Sates has much to offer the third world war.
There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I have just taken with the intention of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy.
Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong.
We are never defeated unless we give up on God.
We have the duty to protect the life of an unborn child.
We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.
Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.
You know, if I listened to Michael Dukakis long enough, I would be convinced we're in an economic downturn and people are homeless and going without food and medical attention and that we've got to do something about the unemployed.