As
UNSC Adopts
Statement,
Religion Added
at Demand of
Pakistan
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
Follow Up
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 26,
updated --
When Germany
circulated a
draft
Presidential
Statement for
its September
26 UN Security
Council
meeting about
the Middle
East, the
fight was
thought to be
about whether
and how to
include
Palestine in
the statement.
The
first draft,
which Inner
City Press put
online,
mention Syria
but not
Palestine. A
second draft
had language
about the Arab
Israel issue
and the Arab
Peace
Initiative.
Inner City
Press asked
German foreign
minister Guido
Westerwelle
and Arab
League chief
Nabil Elaraby
about this and
even on
Wednesday
morning,
neither could
say it would
be adopted.
After
it was,
Security
Council
sources told
Inner City
Press that the
fight had been
about, not
surprisingly,
denigration of
religion. The
second draft,
with language
about the
attacks on
diplomatic
personnel,
spoke only
about
tolerance for
cultures.
But,
the sources
told Inner
City Press,
Pakistan
wanted a
direct
reference to
religion. The
language
adopted is as
follows:
"The
Security
Council
recalls its
press
statements of
12 and 14
September
regarding
recent attacks
on diplomatic
personnel and
premises and
reaffirms that
such acts are
unjustifiable
regardless of
their
motivations,
whenever and
by whomsoever
committed. The
Security
Council
stresses the
importance of
respect and
understanding
for religious
and cultural
diversity
throughout the
world."*
* -
This has been
updated after
a German
mission
correction
Earlier,
there
was outrage
among some in
the Security
Council at
what they said
was French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud's
statement, in
closed door
consultations
negotiating
the
post-Benghazi
attack Council
Press
Statement,
that he is
proud to be
from a country
where he can
denigrate
religion.
Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported it, here and
here.
Now
as predicted
begins the
fight back,
statement by
statement.
Watch this
site.
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