Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Amnesty International's Irene Zubaida Khan: "Gitmo is a Gulag"

Irene Zubaida Khan, who Amnesty International bills as, "...the first woman, the first Asian and the first Muslim..." to head the alleged international human rights organization, likened the US terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to a "gulag". Even for those inured to the hyperbolic anti-Western propaganda that flows regularly from AI this was going too far. President Bush quickly called Khan's charge "absurd".

A "gulag" was a Soviet-era labor/death camp for criminals and political dissidents. Guantanamo detainees are not required to perform labor. They receive medical treatment and are even given meals tailored to their religious beliefs. Perhaps Khan's ignorant statement will serve to point out the outrageous hypocrisy and anti-Western subversion at the core of Amnesty International.

Let's examine some claims from AI's description of their 2004 report.
During 2004, the human rights of ordinary men, women and children were disregarded or grossly abused in every corner of the globe. Economic interests, political hypocrisy and socially orchestrated discrimination continued to fan the flames of conflict around the world.
Actually, Muslim terrorist and terrorist sympathizer organizations "continued to fan the flames". Thousands were deliberately murdered by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq. But Irene Khan and her crew are quick to turn a blind eye to human rights violations from representatives of the "religion of peace."
The "war on terror" appeared more effective in eroding international human rights principles than in countering international "terrorism".
A baseless, asinine statement, unsupported by fact, but revealing in its blatant anti-Americanism. Perhaps Khan's real problem with the war on terror is that it has brought the battleground home to many of the Muslim countries where jihadist terror has been bred, instead of Manhattan.
The millions of women who suffered gender-based violence in the home, in the community or in war zones were largely ignored. The economic, social and cultural rights of marginalized communities were almost entirely neglected.
Absolute nonsense, as evidenced by the massive and unprecedented outpouring of aid in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami. By the way, where are Khan and her organization when women and children are being deliberately targeted in terror attacks in Iraq? Oh yes, dithering over whether or not a Quran was flushed down a Gitmo toilet.
This Amnesty International Report, which covers 149 countries, highlights the failure of national governments and international organizations to deal with human rights violations, and calls for greater international accountability.
But AI only wants accountability from non-Muslim, western countries (plus Israel, of course). It's time that AI provided a little accountability of its own. Specifically, why is AI so anxious to coddle terrorists who have been caught in the act of abusing their fellow humans' rights? Why, with a Muslim at the helm, are they trying to derail the war on terror?
The report also acknowledges the opportunities for positive change that emerged in 2004, often spearheaded by human rights activists and civil society groups. Calls to reform the UN human rights machinery grew in strength, and there were vibrant campaigns to make corporations more accountable, strengthen international justice, control the arms trade and stop violence against women.
Yes, "human rights activists" were responsible for liberating the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq from brutal, inhuman totalitarian regimes. Please. How many deaths have been caused by "human rights activists" draining away resources in war zones that could be better used bringing the conflicts to a quicker resolution? How many "human rights activists" are actually more concerned with human rights than they are with demeaning the West in general and the United States in particular? How many "human rights activists" represent a fifth column of jihadis embedded within organizations like Amnesty International?
Whether in a high profile conflict or a forgotten crisis, Amnesty International campaigns for justice and freedom for all and seeks to galvanize public support to build a better world.
Right. That's why Amnesty International soldiers are on the front lines in the war against terror.

At least the grossly biased Irene Khan has inadvertently performed a valuable service. Her ignorant, over-the-top statements have served to convince more people than ever that Amnesty International is a corrupt organization that enables tyrants and terrorists worldwide, while pretending to be concerned with human rights.