In past years the Geek wouldn't have done more than briefly glance at the festivities. For most of the OIC's thirty plus previous meetings that was all he did. Glance, yawn, perhaps chortle at a particularly stupid comment.
Since the OIC and many of its member nations to say nothing of Islamic activists and their non-Muslim apologists have invented the thought-crime they term "Islamophobia," the Geek has paid much attention to the sophistries of the OIC regarding "responsible free speech."
Let's listen in to the SecGen courtesy of http://www.oic-oci.org/oicnew/topic_detail.asp?t_id=1144. We join the speech already in progress.
Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 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. 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. Third: Renowned academic institutions, intellectual and research centers, and think-tank circles. 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. 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. 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.Parse the statement carefully. Read it more than once. Slowly, carefully.
To give the remarks an appropriate context recall that Muslims are demanding that which they will not, and, according to Islamic doctrine as currently and widely interpreted, cannot give in return.
"That is?" You ask.
Respect. Muslims as shown by the foregoing (and many previous statements by OIC) demands--that's right--demands thorough, absolute and total respect for all matters Islamic. As defined solely by Muslims.
The OIC has made this demand. It will make it again.
A parliamentary delegation from Pakistan levied this demand on the European Union. Pakistan will not be alone in making it.
The same demand is being made upon the United States.
"So what do the Muslims offer in return?" You want to know.
Nothing. There is no quid pro quo in the demand. Read it again.
The OIC and the countries which make up that organisation have never, and according to Islamic injunctions, can never offer equal and balancing respect for either other religions including Judaism and Christianity or for the secular institutions of states.
The most an Islamic interlocutor can offer is the conditional guarantee of no bombings, no shootings, no burning down your embassy, no violent street protests.
Some deal, right?
You give us the right to ban from your public square anything of which we do not completely approve and we will try really, really hard to stop the thugs from harming you or your citizens.
Now consider the OIC members themselves. In a previous post the Geek noted a study of the forty-eight members of the seventy plus countries which comprise the total OIC membership. With three exceptions the "OIC 48" ranked at the bottom of the human rights-democracy--economic freedom index. Saudi Arabia ranked dead last with Pakistan barely above it.
The lever-pullers in the OIC are well on record as being totally opposed to freedom and totally in love with the unquestioned dominance of an unelected, non-transparent, heavily militarised, authoritarian regime backed by a reactionary clerical crew.
While quite willing to throw fits that go plumb off the Richter Scale over cartoons and Internet videos (including a call for an "international death penalty" by one really over-the-edge Pakistani lawmaker), Muslims generally and the OIC in particular are stone silent on the matter of defaming other religions.
Say it ain't so, Geek.
Ah. good buddy, but it is so. Were you to go to Cairo and wander the Arabic language bookstores or that supposed outpost of British liberal values, Jordan, and hit the bookstores there, you would find shelf after bloody shelf of anti-Jewish billingsgate.
Not simply works denouncing Israel or the "Zionist Entity," but Judaism per se.
Since Cairo or Amman, let alone Tehran may not be on your travel plans in the next few days, let your fingers do the walking. Take a look at this, http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/html/search.asp?isSearch=yes&isT8=yes&searchText=T98&pid=118&sid=15&preview=.
Scroll through. Take your time. Make sure you flip to the page covering Britain and the West.
Try not to get too sick. But, it's all there from the (Christian originating) Medieval "Blood Libel" through the Czarist secret police forgery, Protocols of the Elders of Zion to new inventions.
While it is unfortunate that the various Christian denominations including the Catholic Church do not have such a nice central registry for Christian defaming materials of Muslim origin, the Geek well recalls having seen such years ago throughout the Mideast and portions of Northwest Asia.
The likelihood of the situation having changed for the better is equivalent to finding that whales fly.
Or that the Saudis will allow Christian travellers to bring in a Bible or a crucifix medallion.
For many Muslims and certainly for Islamic states such as the big movers of the OIC as well as the OIC itself, respect is a one way street. It has to be that way. Islam means and compels submission.
As far as the political leaders of Islamic states are concerned, the question of submission to whom or what is settled. Them and their demands.
It has to be that way. The Islamic states are by and large fear-ridden enclaves of reaction. Trapped by fear, Islamic political/religious autocrats must not allow the base of their power be exposed to unfettered debate or even factually based criticism in the public square.
These same political/religious fountainheads of diktates and fatwas hope to make us afraid enough to give up the hard won fruits of long fought wars against limitations in expression, inquiry and thought. Fear is the natural ally of the oppressor.
Not the only ally of course. Misplaced love of multiculturalism and an overly zealous desire to be solicitous of the sensitivities or feelings of others can be an equally powerful aid to the would-be oppressor.
Some today term the Muslim playing upon the current fads of sensitivity and political correctness "stealth jihad." The Geek prefers an older, harsher term from the Cold War. Subversion.
By the combination of fear and subversion, the OIC hopes and plans to silence criticism and counterarguments to Islam throughout the West. It is a necessary way station on the road to the dream of a Global Caliphate.
They have told us clearly what they are up to.
Are we going to let them get away with it?
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