20 April 2009

Soft Red Objects in Geneva

President Ahmadinejad of Iran was heckled, walked out on, and targeted with what this report describes as "soft red objects" hurled by rainbow-wigged protesters during his speech to the international anti-racism conference in Geneva. The walkouts were by delegates from nations offended by the Iranian's claim that Israel was the world's most racist regime, but I have a feeling that the soft red objects had less to do with his attitude toward Israel and the Holocaust than with his attitude toward homosexuals -- but perhaps I'm just stereotyping.

Now that I mention it, I wonder whether this conference intends to show as much concern for homosexual people as it does for religious believers who dislike defamation or "incitement" to hatred. Given the extent to which Muslim countries seem to be setting the agenda (hate Israel, don't insult us), I suspect not. That might be a reason to boycott the conference, or at least to throw soft pink objects at it. Better yet, it would be a reason to send delegates to tell all the other people who want to whine about how they're defamed that they're hypocrites if they don't give up their "religious" right to defame others. But I suppose it would be undiplomatic and not a government's business to do this. Three cheers for the hecklers, then, if I read their motives right.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In this case, they should have been throwing grenades.

Samuel Wilson said...

Fanatic: I'm not sure of the relevant of your comment or clipping to the immediate topic, but I'll respond with a suggestion. If you believe that God is the source of your rights, let God protect them. I'd only warn you that God hasn't historically been an effective guarantor of rights, as demonstrated by a failure to strike down Stalin, Hitler et al with lightning bolts or other self-evident signs of conscientious divine wrath.

Anonymous said...

In the state of nature, there is no law but survival of the fittest. In the state of civilization, we have Laws, created by man, authorized and guaranteed by the state. If you don't like the laws of the state, you are invited to go live in the woods, by yourself, in the "state of nature" and let's see how long you survive.

There is no god, so your argument does not hold true, nor does any argument based on the supposition of a "divine being". The only acceptable proof is for said divine being to show itself to all human beings at once, to make its claim, offer its justification for such a claim and to explain why anyone should worship or offer sacrifice...ie, what do WE get in return. Until then, you are invited to shut the hell up.