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UN Rights Official in Blackface is ‘Racist & Offensive’
UN Rights Official in Blackface is ‘Racist & Offensive’ – UN Watch
Geneva, December 1, 2017 –
The non-governmental human rights group UN Watch
today called on UN chief Antonio Guterres and human rights
commissioner Zeid to take action over the latest offensive
actions by UNHRC expert Alfred de Zayas. Letter
below.
________
UN Watch Letter to UN
Secretary-General
and High Commissioner
for Human Rights
Click here for PDF
1
December 2017
Re: Blackface Photo Posted by
UN Human Rights Official
Dear
Secretary General and High Commissioner,
We have received
disturbing information alleging that UN Human Rights Council
official Alfred de Zayas has posted on his blog a photo of himself in blackface, which he termed “in
colonial identity.”
Given that your own United Nations
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent has
determined that the practice of blackface perpetuates a
negative stereotype and derogatory image of Africans and
people of African descent, who consider that this practice
is rooted in unacceptable, colonial attitudes that they find
racist and offensive— with elements linked to
enslavement—we urge you to (a) investigate the allegation,
and, if proven true, condemn Mr. de Zayas’ actions; (b)
demand that the photo be removed immediately from his
website, and that he apologize to people of African
Descent.
Excellencies, this latest racial allegation
underscores grave concerns we have raised repeatedly over Mr. de Zayas’
revisionist history of World War II
which has made him a hero to Holocaust deniers, and over his
support for oppressive regimes such as
Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, where he is now on an official UN
visit—orchestrated by the Maduro regime, but supported by your funds and
officials—which he is using to post propaganda photos of well-stocked
stores, when in fact millions are hungry. Mr. de Zayas
discredits the United Nations. We urge you to call on him to
go—immediately.
Yours sincerely,
Hillel C.
Neuer
Executive Director
https://www.unwatch.org/un-rights-official-blackface-racist-offensive-un-watch/
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