ACTION ALERT

The subject of this alert is the blatant anti-Semitism in the new Arab charter on human rights. This document has been endorsed by Louise Arbour on January 24th in a statement in which she welcomed it's ratification by saying it is, "an important step forward" in strengthening the enjoyment of human rights in the Arab world. It is in fact just the opposite by equating Zionism with Racism.

The Arab league originally adopted the Arab charter in 1994 but it was never enforced as it was not ratified by the required number of 7 member states. The Arab states that just ratified this charter are: the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Syria, Libya, and the Palestinian Authority.This action alert is being sent to Louise Arbour,UN Human Rights Commissioner, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, selected Knesset members and the American Jewish Committee.

A sample letter is shown below. You can use the letter as is or modify as you see fit.

To: Louise Arbour, UN Human Rights Commissioner

I would like to call your attention to a human rights issue that is a grave contradiction within the Arab Charter on Human Rights. It concerns me that a Charter whose purpose is intended to serve as a basis for the principles of freedom by which Arab nations must abide, and should protect the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of the people of those nations, would issue a document that completely distorts those principles. I am further saddened and dismayed that you, as Human Rights Commissioner of the UN, would endorse the completely erroneous precepts set forth in this official Arab Charter.

Ms. Arbour, on Monday, January 28, UN Watch issued a letter to you, as UN Human Rights Commissioner, attempting to clarify your disturbing recent endorsement of the Arab Charter of Human Rights. The letter from UN Watch stated that the newly ratified Arab League document "contains several provisions that promote classically anti-Semitic themes." UN Watch monitors the UN's compliance with its charter and is associated with the American Jewish Committee.

Their letter pointed to troubling sentences in the Arab Charter, one "rejecting all forms of racism and Zionism, which constitute a violation of human rights and a threat to international peace and security." Another sentence says, "all forms of racism, Zionism and foreign occupation and domination constitute an impediment to human dignity. . .all such practices must be condemned and efforts must be deployed for their elimination.

"These indictments of Zionism by the Arab Charter on Human Rights are an unacceptable distortion of the true mission of Zionism which is: "the movement for Jewish self-determination that asserts the inherent and internationally-acknowledged right of Israel to exist.

"The letter from UN Watch said "A text that equates Zionism with racism, describes it as a threat to world peace, as an enemy of human rights and human dignity, and then urges its elimination, is blatantly anti-Semitic. Even if the Arab Charter may contain other, constructive provisions, nothing can justify any endorsement of a text with such hateful language."

I agree with UN Watch.

I feel strongly, Ms. Arbour, that you must certainly have been unaware of the Charter's anti-Semitic contents when you said, "The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is committed and stands ready to support the States Parties to the Charter in ensuring that core values of human rights are upheld."

I would hope that your office would issue a strongly worded retraction and that the responsible person in your office would be identified and held fully accountable for this blatant acceptance of misinformation.

Respectfully,

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