UNHRC Debate on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Forms of Intolerance
Turkey: “Turkey continues to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim racism, and anti-immigrant hatred in all their forms.”
Pakistan: “A world free from discrimination must remain our goal.”
Islamic Republic of Iran: “We stand firmly with the Palestinian people against racism, racial discrimination, dispossession, and the destruction of Palestinian lives and communities.”
Luai Ahmed for UN Watch: “Mr. President, let’s talk about racism in the Middle East.
I grew up in Yemen, where the word that we used for black people is ‘abeed,’ which quite literally means ‘slaves.’
Racism towards black people in my country is horrifying, but it’s not even the most toxic hatred that I wastaught.
The first time I ever heard the word ‘Jew’ was in my local mosque when I was nine years old.
At the end of Friday prayers, the Imam said: ‘May Allah kill the Jews and the Zionists.’
And I responded alongside thousands of Muslims praying beside me: ‘Ameen.’
I was taught that Zionism meant killing Arabs, stealing our land, and destroying Islam.
Then October 7th came.
Hamas terrorists ‘freed Palestine’ by slaughtering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping more than 200 people, including a one-year-old child.
Almost everyone in my Arab-Muslim circle celebrated.
I didn’t.
Instead, as a journalist, I decided to visit the so-called Zionist entity, and I was completely shocked to the coreby the lack of apartheid and racism that I experienced.
One day, I got an eye infection.
At the hospital, the nurses in reception were Jewish.
The doctor treating me was Arab.
Is there racism in Israel? Of course. There’s racism everywhere.
But Arabs in Israel aren’t called ‘slaves.’
They are doctors, engineers, and party leaders.
My experience helped me realize that Zionism really just means the Jewish people’s right to a tiny country.
Everything I was thought was a lie.” | 
