UN To Spread Moroccan Law Banning Preachers Not Gov-Trained, US Cheers, Morocco Response to Inner City Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 1 -- Morocco was celebrated in the September 30 session of UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee, at which the United States spoke, and positively. Inner City Press asked a question, which has now been answered.

 But is the UN promoting laws that violate the US Constitution?

Here's what the UN itself published on September 30:

“Morocco has developed a strategy to prevent the abuse of religion to justify and incite terrorist violence and is now sharing it with the world. An institute has been established in the Kingdom where religious teachers undergo mandatory training before they start preaching in public. Jean-Paul Laborde, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and Assistant Secretary-General hailed the dissemination of these teachings also called the 'Moroccan Experience.'”

  Inner City Press went to the UN Security Council stakeout and asked Morocco's speaker, and a person beside him who seemed to be an interpreter, if this doesn't violate the US Constitution's freedom of religion clause -- how can exercise of religion be so controlled by a government? How could the UN be propagating this model, with the US cheering it on?

  The Moroccan minister gave a long answer in Arabic, which was then not translated. Inner City Press has submitted to the Moroccan Mission to the UN this question, in English: is it 

“true that in Morocco a person cannot preach before mandatory training before they start preaching in public, and if so, how this relates to provisions like those in the US Constitution saying that the free exercise of religion cannot be controlled or impacted by government? Also, whether new laws against foreign fighters, traveling for terrorism, can be abused given the terrorism is not defined and some countries may use their laws against dissidents and political opponents?”

  And the answer, as subsequently provided by the Moroccan Mission, translated from what Morocco's minister said:

“Fundamentally, Islam does not believe in compulsion in religion, nor in forcing any one to believe in the religion, and guarantees to all people their freedom of religion.

“The historical circumstances criss-crossed by these countries in dealing with a lot of developments, in dealing with contemporary life and with the human rights system in general, make them progress towards further harmonization of laws with their requisites, and with life conditions and culture.

“Morocco cannot discuss freedom of religion because this question is deeply rooted in the Islamic religion. However, and as it is also stipulated in the United Nations laws,there are some elements that should adapt to the culture of each country.”

   As to how the US could support the UN's propagation and promotion of a law that is entirely counter to the US Constitution, that remains to be answered. Watch this site.

   

UN Spokesperson Calls Ban - Bin Laden Meeting "Hypothetical," Terrorism Left Undefined

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1terrorism032108.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 21 -- In the week of Osama Bin Laden's first message of 2008, Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Michele Montas was asked if Osama Bin Laden "comes to visit the Secretary-General, would he meet him?" Rather than no, Ms. Montas said "this is a hypothetical question." Never say never...

Meanwhile, the reclusive head of the UN's Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate Michael Smith briefed the Security Council this week about the mandate of his office. Afterwards, while reporters expected him to finally take questions at the Council's stakeout microphone, Smith sped down the hall with a broad hat on. Inner City Press gave chase, and asked for his view of the balance of human rights and counter-terrorism. We strike that balance already, Smith said. Inner City Press asked about a contentious exchange during the Security Council proceedings, about Luis Posada Carriles. "I have nothing to say on that," Smith retorted, speeding up to exit the building. Of course, the UN has yet to even define terrorism.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed credit for bombing the UN in Algiers in December 2007. Since then, the purported investigation was delayed, and has now morphed into philosophical musing on "why they hate us," or the UN. The UN's internal report on the bombing notes that "the media branch for [al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb] issued a direct threat against the U.N" but says that "care has been taken not to apportion blame or responsibility." Maybe that's why the possibility of a Ban - Bin Laden meeting is left open.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1terrorism032108.html