Free Speech in Fetters

The Second Forum of Alliance of Civilizations has passed and the American media coverage has amounted to little more than did or did not Obama attend the Forum? One might have expected better media coverage with questions ranging from what is the Alliance of Civilizations to what is United States’ interest in this initiative. Instead, the media expressed confusion despite Turkey’s Foreign Ministry had published President Obama’s itinerary on its web site. The itinerary shows President Obama was expected to give a speech at the forum.

Heritage Foundation writer Brett Schaefer contacted both the White House and the Alliance of Civilizations seeking confirmation that the President would indeed address the conference. The White House said it simply did not know. The Alliance responded it would neither confirm nor deny the President’s attendance. If what the Alliance has planned for us is such a good thing, why not be more forthcoming? Why does the media neglect to give this coverage? In Hitler’s Germany, a resistance group known as the White Rose wrote in their first pamphlet:

• "Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct. It is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his government…by means of gradual, treacherous, systematic abuse, the system has put every man into a spiritual prison. Only now, finding himself lying in fetters, has he become aware of his fate."

This eerily describes present day governments whose politicians have eroded them giving favor to global governance, doesn’t it? These days, I believe the media is contributing to similar treacherous, systematic abuse. Yet, along with the rest of us, the media, too, shall soon learn of its fate. What a shock it should be as they learn they assisted in sealing it.

This September the UN General Assembly will vote whether the Alliance of Civilizations initiative moves from that of preparatory to activation stage. The Alliance openly calls for tight controls on free speech. A Media Rapid Response force has been established to provide newspapers and television stations reporting “guidelines” during times of crisis, particularly in the area of where politics and religion intersect. Given the system of global governance intends to unify religion and the state rather than maintain separation, everything now falls within this intersection. To ensure that media coverage adheres to a code of conduct, the Alliance of Civilizations has called for journalistic accreditation as well as a review board which will monitor news coverage. The Alliance, to show it upholds the principles of a free press, says that the he media will be “self-regulating” although it acknowledges that “regulation is not possible without pressure to bear”.

There are two individuals whom I would like to credit for recently drawing attention to the Alliance’s global gag on free speech. These articles are by Claudia Rosett writing for Forbes and Brett Schaefer writing for Heritage Foundation. These journalists get it. Claudia Rosett has clearly spent time reading the Alliance of Civilizations materials. Quoting from Rosett:

• “…the Alliance in 2005 set up a secretariat in New York, and enlisted a founding panel of 20 "eminent persons" to further shape its agenda. This group, heavy on eminences from Islamic states, included Iran's Khatami--proposer of the original Dialogue. ..And in the four years since it morphed into existence as the latest phase of the Iranian-sponsored Dialogue, the Alliance has become another megaphone for some of the U.N.'s most troubling campaigns. In deference to Islamic anti-blasphemy laws, the Alliance favors a global gag on free speech. ....”

Among the latest attacks on free speech include the resolution to combat defamation of religion which was voted on by Human Rights Council last March (analysis here). This defamation of religions framework has its way of appearing throughout the interlocking UN initiatives. The Alliance of Civilizations is committed to making it a high priority.