Wednesday, January 7, 2015

UN rights chief warns against xenophobic reaction

The UN's rights chief slammed Wednesday's massacre at a Paris weekly that killed at least 12 people but warned that a xenophobic backlash would only play into the hands of extremists.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein joined a global chorus of condemnation against the "hideous crime", after gunmen armed with Kalashnikov automatic rifles gunned down staff at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. They also shot two police officers.

The weekly had been the focus of several attacks since publishing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in the mid-2000s that Muslims considered sacrilegious.

"I utterly condemn the appalling and ruthless attack on media workers and police officers," Zeid said.

"Freedom of expression and opinion are a cornerstone for any democratic society," he said, adding that "those trying to divide communities on grounds of religion, ethnicity or any other reason must not be allowed to succeed."

While calling for the arrest and punishment of those responsible, he cautioned against reacting with "discrimination and prejudice" against a wider group.

That, he warned, would "be playing straight into the hands of extremists whose clear aim is to divide religions and societies."

"With xenophobia and anti-migrant sentiments already on the rise in Europe, I am very concerned that this awful, calculated act will be exploited by extremists of all sorts," Zeid said.

AFP -  http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/119717.aspx
7/1/15
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2 comments :

  1. Charlie Hebdo: French newspaper has history of provoking outrage ...

    French police confirmed Wednesday that 12 people were shot and killed by gunmen at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly newspaper.

    The publication has been known to provoke controversy through its stories, cartoons and jokes. Over the years it has prompted outrage and anger from many as it took aim at politicians, celebrities and religious figures.

    A quick look at its Twitter feed shows recent cartoon depictions of French President Francois Hollande, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Boko Haram sex slaves........Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/charlie-hebdo-french-newspaper-has-history-of-provoking-outrage-1.2176736#ixzz3O9ml3iSe
    7/1/15

    ReplyDelete
  2. Attentat à Charlie Hebdo: réunir Américains, Européens et Russes dans la lutte antiterroriste...

    J'ai été chargé dans mon passé professionnel d'étudier le terrorisme islamiste. Cet attentat n'est pas surprenant, malheureusement.

    Depuis des années, nos services empêchent de tels attentats de se produire. On évite d'en parler pour ne pas inquiéter la population. Mais l'idéologie islamiste théorisée par l'égyptien El Qotb puis notamment par Ben Laden et El Zawahiri prétend justifier la violence au nom de la religion. Elle considère que la démocratie est une insulte envers Dieu car l'homme prend alors la place de Dieu. Les dirigeants de ces mouvements sont des intellectuels, souvent riches. Le terrorisme n'a rien à voir avec la pauvreté ni avec l'ignorance. Il en est d'autant plus dangereux................http://fr.ria.ru/discussion/20150107/203376173.html
    7/1/15

    ReplyDelete

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