By: Aeneas Lavinium
ICLA

The following post is from Gates of Vienna, and relates to the ‘ICLA Responds To European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion’ that we published on our site on 1 October 2012.

This is the eighth in a series of posts on this week’s OSCE “Human Dimension Implementation” meeting in Warsaw. More will be coming later this week. See the list of links at the bottom of this post for previous articles.

Bashy Quraishy is a Muslim rights activist who was born in India, raised in Pakistan, and now lives in Denmark. He holds the office of Coordinator for the European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion (EMISCO, an affiliate of COJEP), and is representing EMISCO this week at the OSCE Human Dimension meeting in Warsaw.

At last year’s OSCE meeting Mr. Quraishy represented a different group, European Muslims for Social Solidarity. Media reports at the time quoted his demand for “guidelines against Islamophobia in public discourse”.

In the past we have reported on his crusade against the Danish People’s Party, for which he was vehemently scolded by his fellow Danish Muslim, Naser Khader.

If you take a look at Mr. Quraishy’s website, you’ll see that he burnishes his credentials by highlighting his close working relationship with Jesse Jackson.

At yesterday’s plenary Human Dimension meeting in Warsaw, Bashy Quraishy gave an impassioned presentation against “hatred and propaganda against Islam and Muslims in the West”. Many thanks to Europe News for recording this video, and to Vlad Tepes for subtitling and uploading it:

Below is a partial transcript of Mr. Quraishy’s presentation, as patiently compiled by Vlad with the assistance of others who were present at the meeting.

As you read the text, you’ll notice the veiled threats: Insults to Muslims “threaten the world peace”, and “Muslims, we want to live in peace, but please let us live in peace…”

Thank you Madame [unintelligible]…

For social cohesion would like to point out that to the session that there is a dire [unintelligible] between freedom of religion and the ethics of some Western politicians, especially President Obama, and the Western media, and other [unintelligible] in Europe and USA that demonize Islam, and thus make the lives of Muslim communities unbearable… and their freedom of [unintelligible followed by cough in crowd] very difficult.

And now I would point out in this session that United Kingdom, USA, France, Holland, and Denmark are the main criminals. [unintelligible] … right away about the hatred and propaganda against Islam and Muslims in the West and, for example, burning the Koran… [unintelligible]… and video attacking the Prophet, and thus… [expecting? respecting?] Muslims to [fulfill?] their [human?] rights and practice their religion in peace.

I use the word ‘peace.’ … [unintelligible] wishes to remind the USA and the [unintelligible] societies… that… demonize Islam must stop where my rights begin. If these provocations are not [unintelligible]… I’m afraid that these will threaten the world peace and good relations between the West and the Islamic world, which we already are experiencing.

[Unintelligible, crowd members whispering in background] … and protect Muslim communities… [unintelligible] as they protect Jewish communities, gay and lesbian groups, and other [unintelligible] minorities in their countries.

Equal rights and equal protection for all is what OSCE member states should be focusing on… and Muslims, we want to live in peace, but please let us live in peace. Thank you very much.