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Assembling in New York on September 22 will be a gathering of like-minded, small-minded and, might one add, evil-minded delegates for another hate-fest called the Durban IV conference onracism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
No doubt, despite the ANC’s financial woes — not able to pay staff salaries, PAYE or UIF — it will be able to “source” funding to attend this conference.
To their credit, more and more principled countries have given notice of boycotting this conference, and hopefully those still with a moral compass will follow suit. One certainty is that rogue states will attend in force, hiding their racism behind radicalism. Leading the pack will be the ANC delegation.
Previous “Durban” conferences have been attended by the likes of Iran’sMahmoud Ahmadinejad andAli Khorram, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Cuba’s Fidel Castro, all leaders of “honourable standing” massaging each other’s egos. All guilty ofdiscrimination, intolerance and worse, in one form or another, yet claiming the moral high ground.
Will the Taliban, given its “unblemished” reputation of human rights violations and gender abuse, be welcomed at this summit? It seems, given the silence of any number of countries, that it will be welcomed with open arms and lauded as the great liberator of the day.
Don’t discount the UN electing the Taliban to the UN Women’s Rights Council. And don’t be surprised if SA’s foreign minister, herself a woman, supports such an appointment. After all, the ANC has declined to accept any Afghan fleeing the wrath of the Taliban.
Calling out racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance is indeed a noble cause, but unless this is done with honesty and without the hidden agendas that have dominated past sessions, such conventions are meaningless and an insult to the real victims of racism and intolerance.
Allan Wolman Tel Aviv
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by email to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Racism summit a joke
Assembling in New York on September 22 will be a gathering of like-minded, small-minded and, might one add, evil-minded delegates for another hate-fest called the Durban IV conference on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
No doubt, despite the ANC’s financial woes — not able to pay staff salaries, PAYE or UIF — it will be able to “source” funding to attend this conference.
To their credit, more and more principled countries have given notice of boycotting this conference, and hopefully those still with a moral compass will follow suit. One certainty is that rogue states will attend in force, hiding their racism behind radicalism. Leading the pack will be the ANC delegation.
Previous “Durban” conferences have been attended by the likes of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Khorram, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Cuba’s Fidel Castro, all leaders of “honourable standing” massaging each other’s egos. All guilty of discrimination, intolerance and worse, in one form or another, yet claiming the moral high ground.
Will the Taliban, given its “unblemished” reputation of human rights violations and gender abuse, be welcomed at this summit? It seems, given the silence of any number of countries, that it will be welcomed with open arms and lauded as the great liberator of the day.
Don’t discount the UN electing the Taliban to the UN Women’s Rights Council. And don’t be surprised if SA’s foreign minister, herself a woman, supports such an appointment. After all, the ANC has declined to accept any Afghan fleeing the wrath of the Taliban.
Calling out racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance is indeed a noble cause, but unless this is done with honesty and without the hidden agendas that have dominated past sessions, such conventions are meaningless and an insult to the real victims of racism and intolerance.
Allan Wolman
Tel Aviv
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by email to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
ADEKEYE ADEBAJO: Durban conference laid foundations for antiracism struggles
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA: Climate change and pandemic need an inclusive, global push
LETTER: True colours
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