What's New

Resources updated between Monday, November 16, 2020 and Sunday, November 22, 2020

November 20, 2020

The General Assembly Second Committee meeting in the General Assembly Hall

"Israel's ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday praised the world body for overwhelmingly approving an Israeli-sponsored resolution to support entrepreneurship but criticized Arab countries who voted against it, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The two Gulf countries voted against the jobs-oriented resolution despite signing recent peace treaties with Israel and praising what both countries called an advancement of peace in the region.
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The resolution passed with a definitive 144-26 majority with nine abstentions, but the Arab countries voted as a block against the resolution, apparently because it was sponsored by Israel.

Opponents included the UAE and Bahrain. Egypt and Jordan, the other two Arab states that have full diplomatic relations with Israel, also voted against the resolution.

'Unfortunately, there are some in this body, who despite recognizing the value of innovation, decided to vote against it,' Erdan said. 'Their 'no' vote was driven not by reason or logic, but by anti-Semitism and intolerance. These member states should be ashamed. Instead of advancing a more sustainable future, they cling to racism and bigotry. We should all feel outraged.'
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UAE, Bahrain reject Israeli UN resolution on entrepreneurship, despite new peace Article

November 19, 2020

Iranian President Rouhani at an Iranian nuclear facility (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

IAEA Confirms That Iran Has Been Operating Nuclear Centrifuges in Violation of the Iran Nuclear Deal Article

The World Health Organization logo (File photo)

Israel-bashing at the World Health Organization - in the middle of a pandemic Article

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (File photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The Islamic Republic of Iran on Sunday imposed a sentence of 80 lashes on Zaman Fadaee, an Iranian Christian, for drinking Communion wine.

According to Article 18, a religious freedom website, "Zaman Fadaee, who prefers to be called Saheb, received 80 lashes."

The Iranian regime sentenced Saheb to a six-year sentence in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison for organizing house churches and "promoting 'Zionist' Christianity," Article 18 noted.

Ellie Cohanim, the US assistant special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism at the State Department, told The Jerusalem Post: "The Iranian Regime has consistently trampled on the human rights of the people of Iran. The United States stand with the people of Iran in their quest for religious freedom and all other basic human rights."

"For over four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has flogged, tortured and executed innocent souls for their religious beliefs and so much else. In this and other ways, this regime behaves no differently from ISIS. Yet the free world condemns in unison the actions of those radical Islamists but tolerates and even normalizes [Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei's cabal," Mariam Memarsadeghi, an Iranian-American expert on human rights, told The Jerusalem Post.

Article18 reported that Saheb, who is converted from Islam to Christianity, suffered injuries during the flogging.

"It is illegal for Muslims to drink alcohol, but there are exemptions for recognized religious minorities, including Christians. However, converts like Youhan and Saheb are not recognized as Christians," the website wrote.

In October, the regime whipped Mohammad Reza (Youhan) Omidi 80 times for the same alleged crime.

US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus tweeted at the time: "Deeply disturbed by reports Iran lashed Mohammad Reza Omidi 80 times for drinking communion wine. He already served two years in prison for belonging to a house church. We condemn these unjust punishments and urge Iran to allow all Iranians the freedom to practice their beliefs."

Sheina Vojoudi, an Iranian dissident who fled the republic, told the Post that "What I know from my experience is that it's all an excuse to make people afraid and prevent the huge wave of converting to Christianity. When I converted to Christianity, I attended the Armenian church in Tehran secretly, where it is forbidden for the Persian speakers. There must be no preaching and no Bible in Persian."

She continued, "to have the Bibles in Persian, people risk their lives at the airport to bring Persian Bibles from Armenia. Evangelism in Iran is recognized as an act of espionage. What really concerns me is that I don't know what happened to my teachers. We were always in contact, we met secretly. They taught me the first steps of Christianity and out of sudden both of them disappeared."

Karmel Melamed, an Iranian-American journalist and activist for religious minorities in Iran, told Post that "It's shameful that the leaders of Europe and especially the Vatican, which claims to be the world's protector of Christians, have been silent about the Iranian Islamic regime's 41-year persecution of Christians and Christian converts in Iran."

He added that "It seems as if economic interests are more important for Europe that does extensive business with Iran's ayatollahs rather than speaking out against their regime's horrific human rights abuses against religious minorities in Iran."

Iranian Christian gets 80 lashes for drinking Communion wine Document

November 18, 2020

The placard for the United States at the United Nations Human Rights Council (File photo)

The Self-Assured Hubris of the World's Human-Rights Abusers Article

November 16, 2020

Zhang Zhan is among numerous journalists who have been arrested after travelling to Wuhan to report on the coronavirus outbreak and response. (Photo courtesy Chinese Human Rights Defenders)

Citizen journalist facing jail in China for Wuhan Covid reporting Document