The unfinished agenda on racism

THE UN World Conference against Racism in Durban is winding up tomorrow. However, the controversies that had dodged the conference will not go with its end. Reports about the conference throughout the week have been dominated by the attitude of the USA to the conference culminating in its delegation and that of Israel withdrawing from the conference. It is no surprise that the USA ‘walked out’ of the conference. It never quite walked into it because it put so many ifs, buts, and whatever obstacle it could find, to justify not attending. For the record the USA has never participated in this type of conference sine it started in 1978. The official reason advanced about ‘equating Zionism with racism’ is merely convenient for domestic purposes because of the unholy and criminal alliance in America behind the state of Israel. Why should Israel be so important that the USA is willing to boycott the rest of the world for it? Even ignore its naked economic interest vis-a-vis the oil-rich potentates of the Middle East. Why is it easier to jettison other peoples interests but not those of Israel? Western guilt about Nazism provides good ideological canvass for this but also Zionist (not the popular Jewish conspiracy) influence on key media and global financial institutions have combined to make sure that Israel’s interests are promoted, impossible to ignore and Jewish victimhood is ‘never forgiven and never forgotten.’ That is why the West and the USA can regularly ignore the interests of the rest of the world with impunity. If you want to know how much we are rated just look at the level of official representation sent to the conference by majority of the European countries and the USA. My suspicion is that there are more than just Israeli reasons for the US to try to sabotage the Durban conference. One of the other factors influencing the American flip-flop is the growing confidence and organisational strength of grassroots groups among African-Americans around reparation for slavery and colonialism. The matter is now a subject of class action law suit that is set to run and run. It will expose the slavery foundations of US growth, development and current hegemony. Above all slavery and colonialism raises fundamental question about western civilisation and its smug claim to a self-given destiny to lead the rest of the world. 10 years ago the issue was on the margins of the political discourse but now that is no longer the case both domestically and internationally. American and European avoidance has helped to focus on it. It can no longer be ignored. The large presence of African-American human rights groups in the Durban NGO forum ensured that it is the US that was on trial. It really did not matter whether the official delegation was there or not. Consequently the ‘low level’ delegation they sent served as ‘two for the price of one’ with the Israeli delegation. And what a pair they are! It must have been difficult even for traditional allies of the US to give uncritical support for Israel in view of the current situation in the middle East. How could Israel expect any understanding from the rest of the world when it has patented contempt for world opinion? As for the African leaders who were prepared ‘to be reasonable,’ who claim ‘apology without litigation’ is enough on reparation, the fact that both the US and Europe are not even prepared for that both weakened and compromised them. There is also the group of ‘house Niggers’ like the British Foreign Office minister for Africa, Baroness Amos or lower grade Powell types sent the US government to trumpet their slave master positions. They were not representing the will of people of African origin in their various countries whose mandate they did not have. And this is where the problem is for all of them. The reparations debate has become a global cause with a shared platform among the forces coalescing around anti globalisation protests. Neither the African leaders nor the Western leaders is reflective of these forces. Therefore whatever compromise they strike among themselves will have no effect on the movement. If you are in doubt just look at the declaration and resolutions from the NGO forum. Pragmatists may say but these resolutions do not have the force of law or commitment which is very true. Since when do just causes have the support of the powers that be from the beginning? Is it not ironic that the racism conference is taking place in South Africa. Who would have thought it possible 10 years ago? The same powerful forces and countries that sought ‘constructive engagement’ with apartheid South Africa are the ones denying Zionism is racism or the need for reparation for slavery but the conscience of the world can no longer be dulled. Is it possible to find anybody who supported apartheid these days? Pray for long life to witness the turn around on the so called controversial issues in Durban. Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the general-secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala, Uganda