VOA标准英语 US Defends Boycott of Racism Conference

The Obama administration on Monday defended its decision not to attend the United Nations Conference on racism¹ in Geneva, which included in its opening session a sharp rhetorical attack on Israel by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Human rights groups contend the boycott³ by the United States and other countries undermines the fight against racism.
　
EU delegates walk out in protest during a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (top) during the U.N.'s Conference against Racism in Geneva, 20 Apr 2009

Obama administration officials say the spectacle of the first day of the conference, marked by the Iranian leader's verbal attack on Israel, only vindicates⁴ the decision to stay away.

The United States withdrew from the first U.N. racism conference in Durban in 2001, when it became clear the meeting - nominally⁵ aimed at combating hatred⁶ - mainly had turned into a forum⁷ for attacks on Israel and Zionism.

The outgoing Bush administration said it would not attend preparatory meetings for the Geneva review conference, known as Durban Two, but the Obama administration reversed that decision in hopes of reforming draft documents reminiscent of the tone of the first Durban meeting.
　
White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs speaks to reporters in the White House press room, 15 Apr 2009

In its announcement on Saturday that it would not attend, the Obama administration acknowledged progress in preparatory work on a Geneva text. But at a briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said there had not been enough to merit U.S. participation⁸.

"We set out very specific conditions and sent a high-level team to see if the conference was serious about the issue of racism and intolerance, rather than to be political propaganda," said Robert Gibbs. "After working to try to address those shortcomings, the administration decided⁹ it could not and should not be a part of what we saw happening today. This president believes very strongly in dealing¹⁰ with racism and intolerance. But I don't think it was in our national interest to be part of the conference that's going on right now."

Gibbs said the Iranian President's Geneva speech, in which he called U.S. ally Israel "a most cruel, repressive and racist¹¹ regime," was obviously hateful rhetoric² and one of the reasons why the Obama administration decided that taking part in the conference "would not be a wise thing to do."

The Ahmadinejad speech triggered a walkout by a number of Western delegates at the meeting. The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand announced over the weekend they were joining the United States, Canada and Israel in not participating in the Durban Two conference.

The decisions by major countries not to attend were criticized by human rights groups, which argue that such boycotts¹² undermine U.N. efforts to fight racism.

Iain Levine, Program Director for New York-based Human Rights Watch says the best response to the Iranian leader's inflammatory rhetoric is to stay in Geneva and rebut¹³ it.

"It was a terrible speech," said Levine. "It was hate-filled. It was provocative¹⁴; it was inflammatory. It was a terrible speech. But it shows exactly why the United States and other government should have been at the conference. What we needed, as we saw from the Norwegian foreign minister, was an immediate¹⁵ rebuttal. We need people to stand up and say that the global fight against racism is not going to be defined by a man so filled with hatred, by a man who presides over a government that oppresses its own minorities. We want to see a global fight against racism led by governments who really care about the issue."

Human Rights Watch says the draft document for Geneva contained no reference to Israel or the Middle East, and upholds free speech rights - contrary to assertions by Obama administration officials that language in it against incitement¹⁶ runs counter to the U.S. commitment to unfettered free speech.

The U.N. High Commissioner¹⁷ for Human Rights, Navi Pallay, expressed shock and deep disappointment over the U.S. decision not to attend. But it was welcomed by U.S. conservatives and some Jewish groups.

The ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said she was pleased that the United States stood firm in refusing to legitimize what she termed "an anti-freedom, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel hate fest."

She said all U.S. funds should be withheld¹⁸ from the Durban Two process.

1 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

2 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

3 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

4 vindicates   

n.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的名词复数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的第三人称单数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• The success of the operation completely vindicates my faith in the doctor. 手术的成功完全证明我对这大夫的信任是正确的。 来自辞典例句
• In one sense the verdict vindicates the Bush administration. 在某种意义上，有罪宣判证明了布什当局是正确的。 来自互联网

5 nominally   

在名义上，表面地； 应名儿

参考例句：

• Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。
• The company could not indicate a person even nominally responsible for staff training. 该公司甚至不能指出一个名义上负责职员培训的人。

6 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

12 boycotts   

（对某事物的）抵制( boycott的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Their methods included boycotts and court action, supplemented by'sit-ins". 他们的主要方法包括联合抵制、法庭起诉，还附带进行静坐抗议。
• Are boycotts for other purposes illegal? 至于用于其它目的的联合抵制行动是否也是非法的呢？

13 rebut   

v.辩驳，驳回

参考例句：

• He attempted to rebut the assertions made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳控方证人所作的断言。
• This open letter is to rebut the argument of abstractionism.这封公开信是反驳抽象派论点的。

14 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

15 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

16 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

17 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

18 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》