Rice Says Human Rights, Liberty Are Values Practiced by Most Muslims

Human Rights, Liberty Are Values Practiced by Most Muslims, Says Rice
CNS news
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the appointment of Washington’s first-ever special envoy to the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference will help to promote principles that Muslims and non-Muslims alike “hold dear,” such as human rights, liberty and the rule of law.

“These are not American values or Western values,” she told OIC ambassadors in Washington on Monday. “They are universal values, values that are lived and practiced by the majority of Muslims in the world, many of whom are citizens of democracies.”

Fourteen of the OIC’s 57 members qualify as “electoral democracies,” according to criteria applied by Freedom House in its latest report on freedom in the world. None are Arab states.
And only six of the 57 — Benin, Guyana, Indonesia, Mali, Senegal and Suriname — are deemed “free” according to a Freedom House evaluation that scores nations for both political rights and civil liberties, and classifies them as “free,” “partly free” or “not free.”
Sada Cumber, the man appointed by President Bush to serve as the first U.S. envoy to the OIC, acknowledged that he will have his work cut out for him.

“I will be advocating American interest on a range of hard issues from Iraq to Palestinian issue to nuclear issues,” he told the OIC ambassadors and others gathered at the State Department ceremony.

“While I do not expect to always reach consensus on ever issue, but I do hope and pray and desire that we can foster a climate of mutual respect and trust,” the Pakistani-born Texas businessman added.

Rice told the ceremony that the envoy’s appointment was part of a broader administration effort to increase its engagement with Muslims worldwide.

He would combat misperceptions about the U.S. that are spread by America’s enemies, she said.

“The notion that the United States is at war with Islam … is simply propagated by violent extremists who seek to divide Muslim communities against themselves, to judge who is and who is not a pious Muslim and to commit any atrocity, even against their fellow Muslims, to impose an intolerant ideology on their societies,” Rice said.

“The OIC plays a vital role in promoting moderation, dialogue and understanding and we welcome the statements that this organization has made in support of those values.”

Established in 1969, and with its secretariat based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the OIC groups 56 independent countries plus “Palestine.”
The Arab-Israeli conflict has been a top priority, and enhancing Islamic solidarity its stated goal, although over the decades it has also faced frequent crises within its ranks, such as during the Iran-Iraq War, a 10-year conflict between Libya and Chad, and the Persian Gulf War.
In the years since 9/11, the OIC’s focus has increasingly turned to relations between the West and Islam, the campaign against Islamist terrorism, and episodes of what it calls “Islamophobia,” such as the publication by Danish newspapers in 2005 of 12 cartoons satirizing Mohammed.

Wild Thing’s comment……..
Her appeasing words that spit on the graves of all the victims of the death cult of Islam.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the appointment of Washington’s first-ever special envoy to the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference will help to promote principles that Muslims and non-Muslims alike “hold dear,” such as human rights, liberty and the rule of law.
Hey Condi, yeah, right. Show me one nation under Islamic Sharia Law that “holds dear” anything remotely resembling liberty, human rights and rule of law.
They “hold dear” the right to murder a daughters that won’t practice the Muslim religion. I am SO tired of the political two step that our State Department dances to. A skilled diplomat can speak tactfully and effectively without lowering themselves to the point of uttering blithering, false, stupidity. She is not up to the job. She seems unable to speak without pandering. But I cannot blame her entirely, President Bush has said more then once, that Islam is the religion of Peace.
An old quote by Condi that she should not have made as well:
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Remarks before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations and Related Programs
May 12, 2005

“Mr. Chairman, before I begin my actual testimony, I want to speak directly to Muslims in America and throughout the world. Disrespect for the Holy Koran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States. We honor the sacred books of all the world’s great religions. Disrespect for the Holy Koran is abhorrent to us all.

There have been recent allegations about disrespect for the Holy Koran by interrogators at Guantanamo Bay and that has deeply offended many people. Our military authorities are investigating these allegations fully. If they are proven true, we will take appropriate action. Respect for the religious freedom of all individuals is one of the founding principles of the United States. The protection of a person’s right to worship freely and without harassment is a principle that the government and the people of the United States take very seriously. Guaranteeing religious rights is of great personal importance to the President and to me.

During the past few days, we have heard from our Muslim friends around the world about their concerns on this matter. We understand and we share their concerns. Sadly, some people have lost their lives in violent demonstrations. I am asking that all our friends around the world reject incitement to violence by those who would mischaracterize our intentions.”