It is;
"The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (ICERD) is a United Nations convention. A third generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races."
As of May 2015, 189 states have ratified or acceded to the treaty,
Malaysia and Myanmar in the same league |
Recognise competence under Article 14
Do not recognise competence under Article 14
Signed but not ratified
Neither signed nor ratified (Note the Grey Countries it includes Myanmar and Malaysia)
Malaysia is contemplating on whether it should ratify The International Convention of All forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and this is rather an issue of concern.
If one studies the reasons given by the various groups on the rejection of ratifying ICERD two issues stand out more than anything else;one is the Malay Race and the other is Islam. In fact if you narrow it down,those are the only two issues so far.
Clueless just following the leader |
Now before I go on to address these issues brought forward we must realise one cardinal principle.
If we do not ratify ICERD or if we have no intention to ratify ICERD we, from this very moment loose our high ground of trying to be morally correct with the Rohinga issue in Myanmar, our criticism of Israel on the Palestinian issue, our stand on issues affecting peoples in other lands because we ourselves are involved in this kind of behaviour and sometimes even on a worse scale.
The Radical Islamic Stamp |
Let me visit the issue of Jamal Kashoggi for instance, whilst the whole world has made such an issue of the murder of this man, and rightfully so, the same world just forgot that in Malaysia 2 Pastor Joshua and wife Ruth Helmi, Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.
All these missing persons had one common denominator, they were " falsely accused of activities which were reportedly against Islam and yet no evidence was forthcoming against them regarding the same, these allegations were merely picked out of the air as nothing substantial has come out of these allegations, even after investigations by the special branch.
Police reports were made regarding Pastor Koh, that he was attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity and yet not an iota of evidence has been produced about the same.
In Pastor Helmi's case, yes the Pastor was a Muslim who converted to Islam, he was reported to have wanted to flee the country with his wife Ruth and they were wanting to go to New Zealand, but because his wife is a foreigner she required a visa to go to New Zealand and although she had told him to leave first he decided because of his religious convictions to stay and get his wife's visa first before leaving. He quotes Mathew; where Jesus says, "and the 2 shall become 1" and says he would have to leave with her as they were one as husband and wife.
In Pastor Koh's case there were numerous allegations that he was converting Muslims to Christianity, and not a single one of those allegations were true and yet he went missing. The operation to get him was very similar with the way Anwar Ibrahim was arrested by the Police, the modus operandi differed only in one way and that was there was a motorcyclist in this case.
Missing Abducted and all had one thing in common Allegations made about Islam |
In the case of Syed Amri the allegation was that he was spreading Shia Islam, even ASP Razman, the Head of the Special Branch from the Division of Social Extremism - Perlis, told the special inquiry set up to look into these disappearances that Syed Amri was being monitored over his alleged Syiah links prior to his disappearance.
ASP Razman testified that that since he helmed the department, Amri was not found spreading Syiah teachings.
All these goes to show that all these innocent people have gone missing over false allegations agaisnt innocent people made in the name of Islam.
To this day the Police have not been able to tell us anything of what happened to these missing persons.
Many Malaysians fear the worst, but the families of these people have every right to have closure in these issues.
Very few doubt that it was not the Police behind these abductions as it was carried out so professionally, number plates were all doctored or so they say and to this day they have no clue.
Khalid Abu Bakar the former Police Inspector General (PIG) had said on many occasions that they were working on clues and information and did not seem to be really interested in the case, he was too preoccupied arresting the likes of Maria Chin and allowing trouble makers like Jamal Yunos to create havoc in the country.
The lack of Police concern in the cases of these people gives us cause of grave concern. There has not been any real effort to have this case brought to closure. Even Altantuya who was blasted into smithereens suing C4 was discovered, but not these people.
Coming back to ICERD there are many cases of Indonesians, Bangladeshis, and people of many other different nationalities who have gained citizenship in this country whose children automatically become Bumiputra or Malay for that matter because they speak the language, follow the customs and are Muslims, whilst Malaysian s who have been here for three four and five generations are not Bumiputras and are treated as second class citizens.
The Obvious Stirring Emotions |
Is this what PAS and others like Nazri Aziz want to protect? Why is it ICERD is not welcomed and not long from now I can assure you the children of Zakir Naik if not him will become Bumiputras, why even now he is enjoying perks other Malaysians can't even hope for.
Now with all these, can we really tell Myanmar how to treat the Rohingya?
Pope Francis washes the feet of Muslim refugees. |
Yes there are those in Europe and America who have condemned these refugees as Muslim terrorists, who say they do not want Muslims in the country but the very government of the countries in Europe defend the rights of these defenseless souls.
North African refugees offered Protection in Europe from Rightwingers |
In Malaysia one of the most confounded idiots who once was screaming in Parliament calling an MP a "Bloody Racist" over and over again today shows his true racist colours, he is quoted as having said, “ICERD is a no way (for me).
As a Malay Muslim I have rejected it from the beginning and I have never questioned the rights of others. Can I accept it if my rights are taken away due to discrimination? The answer is no.”.........Nazri Aziz
Notice the emphasis on two issues here coming from a man who was a minister in the Mahathir, Badawi and Najib Governments, a lawyer by profession and who was once the defacto Law minister. Yes I am quoting Nazri and he had the cheek to call others racists.
Malaysia has effectively lost its high ground and has to cease to tell other countries what to do, till the extremist Malaysians come to their senses.