Amnesty Report Decries ‘Politics of Fear’
WASHINGTON - The “politics of fear” are polarising the world and leading to an erosion of human rights, according to Amnesty International’s annual report released Wednesday.
The report also offers a stinging rebuke to the human rights policy of the United States both at home and abroad.
“Fear thrives in myopic and cowardly leadership. There are indeed many real causes of fear but the approach being taken by many world leaders is short-sighted, promulgating policies and strategies that erode the rule of law and human rights, increase inequalities, feed racism and xenophobia, divide and damage communities, and sow the seeds for violence and more conflict,” the report says.
Amnesty International, a global human rights organisation, points to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, U.S. President George W. Bush, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe as all playing on fear among their supporters to help them push their own political agendas and, in many cases, expand and strengthen their political power.
“Through short-sighted, fear-mongering and divisive policies, governments are undermining the rule of law and human rights, feeding racisms and xenophobia, dividing communities, intensifying inequalities and sowing the seeds for more violence and conflict,” said Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International.
In both developed and emerging economies, the fear of marginalisation and “being invaded by the poor” has led to increasingly tough measures against immigrants, in violation of international human rights.
In Western Europe, fear of uncontrolled migration has been used to justify strict laws against asylum-seekers and refugees and migrant workers continue to be discriminated against around the world, from South Korea to the Dominican Republic, says Amnesty.
Violence between Muslims and non-Muslims, including incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, increased over the past year, largely fueled by discriminatory counter-terrorism strategies in Western countries. “Increasing polarisation has strengthened the hands of extremists at both ends of the spectrum, reducing the space for tolerance and dissent,” the report says.
The United States and Russia were cited as two of the biggest abusers of freedom of expression, with the fear of dissent used to justify crackdowns on free speech and due process.
Of particular concern was the U.S.-run prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where in 2006, 200 detainees were force-fed to end a hunger strike and three men were reported to have committed suicide, which the U.S. taskforce commander at Guantanamo described as “asymmetrical warfare”.
Amnesty also cited the use of CIA “black sites” — secret prisons — forced renditions and torture as contraventions of international and U.S. laws.
In Russia, the authoritarian crackdown on journalists has been accompanied by a controversial law to regulate the funding and activities of various NGOs.
When Amnesty International, along with several other international NGOs met with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the new law, he responded, “We did not pass this law to have it repealed,” reports Amnesty.
“Increasing polarisation and heightened fears about national security reduced the space for tolerance and dissent. Around the world, from Iran to Zimbabwe, many independent voices on human rights were silenced in 2006,” said Khan.
The report finds that freedom for women has suffered from the “war on terror”, which has led to a general backlash against human rights and a backtracking in women’s rights resulting from the environment of fear and religious fundamentalism.
Amnesty makes a specific point of singling out the Bush administration’s role in using the “war on terror” to justify widespread human rights abuses and “treat(ing) the world as one big battlefield”.
“The U.S. administration remains deaf to the worldwide calls for closing down Guantanamo. It is unrepentant about the global web of abuse it has spun in the name of counter-terrorism. It is oblivious to the distress of thousands of detainees and their families, the damage to the rule of international law and human rights, and the destruction of its own moral authority, which has plummeted to an all-time low around the world while the levels of insecurity remain as high as ever,” says the report.
Hopeful news is emerging, says Amnesty, evidenced by European demands for transparency and accountability in renditions, U.N. agreement to develop a treaty to control conventional arms and new leadership in a range of countries.
“A new (U.S.) Congress could take the lead in setting the trend, restoring respect for human rights at home and abroad,” said Khan. “Just as global warming requires global action based on international cooperation, the human rights meltdown can only be tackled through global solidarity and respect for international law.”
“The global mood, the result of such unending tragedies as the conflict in Iraq, the repression of freedoms in China and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, is bleak at best,” said Amnesty International’s executive director, Larry Cox.
“For many victims, advocates and human rights defenders, the United States has always been a beacon of hope and a leader in justice,” he said. “Now is not the time for a few improvements at home but for colossal actions that carry the world forward in the name of human rights.”
Copyright © 2007 IPS-Inter Press Service
here here!
Not only are the politics of fear being promoted, but chaos is being sown so the fear mongers can say, “see how right we are?”.
This is true evil- doing such things with no remorse, no compassion; seeking only personal gain with no regard for the common good.
Keeping bin Laden alive is very useful for keeping the fear alive.
Heck! I thought you were going to introduce the concept of illegal residents with that “Amnesty” in the title.
We’re just playing around the edges of this “thing that’s going on” until that subject is resolved.
What’s the point in “coming out of the shadows” or becoming a citizen if all you get is an opportunity to vote for Shrub and pay taxes for the war. Yawn!
Kudos to Amnesty for this report. I believe that such behaviour from leaders arises from their own fear. It is those who are themselves living in fear who use fear and divisiveness as a means of controlling others. Let us not criticize, but challenge our leaders to delve into their greatness. The following is an excerpt from The Proclamation of Baha’u'llah, the founder of the Baha’i faith ( under “Baha’u'llah - The Proclamation of Baha’u'llah”), available on the website “Ocean”
To THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE PEOPLES IN EVERY LAND
O YE the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hath limited his power to heal or cure.
That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error….
And to help those affected by the actions of these leaders, I offer the following that they may not grow despondent nor act in anger but contribute to challenging the greatness of the leaders:
“…..a soul becomes offended when he is wrongly criticized and his actions denounced. In the normal course of events this can often lead to coolness, alienation, bitterness and even hatred between people… But when a person believes in the words of Baha’u’llah and sincerely follows this exalted teaching, his attitude to his fellow man will completely change and he will become immune to this danger…
When a person reaches this stage of maturity and discernment, he will neither be discouraged by undue criticism, nor pleased with praise and glorification. It is always the ego which feels offended in the former case and gratified in the latter. The above-mentioned teaching of Baha’ullah helps the individual to subdue his ego. The mere consciousness that one is acting against God in condemning and attacking his fellow man, is sufficient to deter him in the pursuit of such reprehensible behaviour. It also enables him to realise that as long as he turns to God, the forces of evil will never be able to harm him in any way….”
…it follows that the only sign of keen sight is when a person pays heed to neither the praise nor the condemnation of others.”
pp188-191: Volume 2 - The Revelation of Baha’u’llah
Adib Taherzadeh