[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 110 (Wednesday, August 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM PRESENTS 
          UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS GLOBAL DISCRIMINATION

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                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2001

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
House Resolution 212, sponsored by myself and my good friend from 
California, the Ranking Member of the House International Relations 
Committee, Mr. Lantos.
  It is easy to believe that in the twenty-first century, racism, like 
a rabbit under a magician's hat, has simply disappeared with the 
abracadabra of superficial legislation and the convenience of turning a 
blind eye. But for those of us who prefer to see the truth rather than 
a prefabricated illusion, we must recognize the need for international 
cooperation to address racism at the U.N. World Conference Against 
Racism in Durban, South Africa.
  Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat 
to justice everywhere.'' It is wrong, however, to combat racism with 
provisions that are racist themselves. Without a doubt, it is 
unacceptable for anti-Semitic language to be used in the conference's 
Program of Action to address the Arab-Israeli conflict. The notion of 
equating Zionism with racism is one that we rejected over twenty years 
ago when we spoke out vehemently against a U.N. resolution that made 
such an insidious claim. Thus, it is critical that we carefully 
consider the consequences of attending a conference that promotes a 
tenet we simply cannot accept. At the same time, we must reaffirm our 
commitment to working together with the international community to 
eradicate global discrimination and establish ourselves as a leader in 
this cause. We cannot let our silence speak for us now.
  This legislation, Mr. Speaker, promotes U.S. support of the World 
Conference Against Racism and encourages us to take action in a manner 
consistent with our American values of racial and religious tolerance. 
It is essential that we support such legislation and not allow our 
global fight against racism to vanish into thin air or be diminished by 
language that exacerbates the problem rather than fixing it. I urge my 
colleagues to support this unique opportunity to address global 
discrimination and to support House Resolution 212.

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