LONDON, 15 MAY 2008 — The human rights and safety of gay people around the world are being compromised and endangered by the United Nations human rights body that is supposed to protect them. The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has raised the alarm about the hijacking of the United Nations Human Rights Council by a bloc of Islamic states which are using the platform to restrict human rights rather than protect them.
GALHA has written to Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown about the activities of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The OIC is an umbrella group of 57 Islamic states – among which are the only nations still to apply the death penalty for gay sexual activity.
In his letter to the Foreign Office, David Christmas, secretary of GALHA, said:
“As you may know, 17th May marks the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), in connection with which events are being held all over the world to promote an end to homophobia and the achievement of full equality across the globe for LGBT people. The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) was involved in the institution of the first IDAHO and remains a full supporter and active participant.
“We are taking the opportunity offered by this global spirit of action to urge you to take action on what many now regard as the subversion of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) by nations associated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The resolution this March regarding the ‘defamation’ of religions, we see as illustrating of this terrible trend.
“Along with countless others, we are gravely concerned by these developments and our concerns are greatly increased by the fact that the nations making up the OIC are responsible for the most flagrant abuses of the human rights of LGBT people, persecuting and executing LGBT Muslims and non-Muslims within their own borders.
“We urge the UK Government to stand up for the human rights of all people, including LGBT people and especially those condemned by an accident of birth to live in nations where their sexual orientation is a cause of state violence towards them. We also urge the UK Government to ensure that legitimate and free criticism of this barbarism is not silenced by bogus claims that human rights can be used to protect religiously motivated bigots from the international censure they deserve.”