Day: 8 March 2009

Whilst President Omar al-Bashir thumbs his nose at the ICC and world opinion, Iran and Hamas have rushed to Khartoum in a solidarity mission.

These two august regimes have denounced the International Criminal Court’s warrant. These are the same regimes who accuse Israel of genocide of the Palestinians.

There is no doubt that the Sudanese government and its supporter’s activities in Darfur represent the clearest example of genocide and war crimes imaginable. But Iran is sending the speaker of their parliament, Ali Larijani whilst Hamas have despatched Moussa Abu Marzouk their second in command in Damascus.

After the ICC warrant  was announced, al-Bashir expelled foreign aid workers further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, an act itself which could be considered a crime against humanity. 2.7 million people have been forced out of their homes and villages. Hundreds of thousands have been killed. Tens of thousands of women and young girls raped. 

By supporting such a regime Iran and Hamas show their true colours.  Yet we still have people in this country (UK) and around the world who believe them to be a bulwark against the West, the vanguard of anti-Zionism and the heroes of Islam. 

Meanwhile, the BBC has reported here that the Arab League us asking the UN to defer the warrant for a year.

But look who Sudan’s biggest supporter is. None other than the Tibet-annexing, freedom-suppressing Chinese government who effectively have aligned themselves with Hamas and Iran by complaining to Ban Ki-moon about the warrant and then blocking a French security council statement. For the Chinese their strategic interests in Africa are more important than the lives of millions of Africans – no surprise there.

Meanwhile, on March 3rd, the Libyan ambassador to the UN compared Gaza to Nazi concentration camps. The double standards of the Arab League and many Islamic regimes on the question of Darfur are breathtaking in their hypocrisy.