Obama Administration to Back UN Human Rights Council on Limite to Free Speech

The Obama Administration, at the latest meeting of  The United Nations Human Rights Council, came out in support of placing limits in free speech! While this development is disturbing it comes a no real surprise. Rational Nation USA addressed the erosion of our 1'st amendment rights here at home in its September 1 post entitled, We Must Preserve Our Right to Free Speech.

While many in congress on the left are hoping  to use The Fairness Doctrine here at home to curtail free speech, the Administration is widening the attack on freedom of speech and expression. Rather than just the nefarious attack on free speech at home the Obama administration, by supporting the UN call to limit free speech, is taking its attack global in the hopes of creating pressure to regulate and limit further our right to free speech in America.

Some points to consider; paraphrased from Anne Bayefsky's article in the Weekly Standard.

1) Organization of the Islamic Conference holds the balance of power on the Council
2) Primary human rights abusers, China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia hold sway on the Council
3) Cuba along with Islamic countries pushed through an amendment which introduced limits on speech considered by them to be an "abuse ... {that}constitutes an act or acts of racial or religious discrimination."
4) The Obama Administration cosponsored a resolution with Egypt, (another without stellar human rights credentials), that revamped freedom of expression
5) As it became clear during negotiations the Obama administration wanted consensus at any cost (with Islamic members) other Western governments watched with great concern.

Following is the statement by U.S. diplomat Douglas Griffiths when the resolution was adopted by consensus and  introduced on October 1, " The United States is very pleased to present this joint project with Egypt. This initiative is a manifestation of the Obama administration's commitment to multilateral engagement throughout the United Nations and of our genuine desire to seek and build cooperation based upon mutual interest and mutual respect in pursuit or our shared common principals of tolerance and the disnity of all human beings."

Egyptian Ambassador Hisam Badr was just as pleased saying in part, "freedom of expression ... has been sometimes misused," and "the media must conduct  ... itself in a professional and ethical manner."

One cannot be sure what the flowery words really mean. But it sure seems like Obama is capitulating to the interests of the Islamic world, as well as those of other governments that  do not respect nor give its citizens the right of free speech and expression.

This is very disturbing. First from the standpoint the United States is backing away from its prior strong stance on human rights and freedom of speech and expression. Second by negotiating with, and co sponsoring a resolution with countries seiously lacking in human rights and freedom of speech in their own countries.

This support from the Obama administration casts a shawdow on its intent at home as well.

For more on this disturbing issue read the full text of Anne Bayefsky's article here.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Weekly Standard

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