Ahmadinejad Threatens to Hijack UN Racism Conference

“As the Durban review conference begins today, there is a very real danger that the conference will set back the cause of human rights. Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s speech today is the latest attempt to hijack the conference” said Tad Stahnke, Human Rights First’s Director of Policy and Programs. “This conference should not be a forum to spread bigotry. The urgent issue of racism across the globe is too important to be hijacked by such extremism. It is incumbent on governments who have stayed to challenge any efforts to curtail free speech, to promote the concept of defamation of religion and to single out Israel or any other country in the final text of the outcome document.”