Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-04-06-Speech-4-165"
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"en.20060406.26.4-165"2
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".
Mr President, my party and I have always supported and still support the intervention in Iraq by Western democracies in defence of basic values and fundamental human rights. From the standpoint of a supporter of the intervention in Iraq by the United States and other democratic powers, I have to say that it is with great concern and sadness that I receive news of indications of human rights infringements perpetrated by a government which was supposed to be democratic and which should have brought democracy to Iraq.
In fact, we find ourselves in an unfortunate situation if, after toppling Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, we continue to witness human rights abuses in Iraq. That is precisely why, although I do not agree with many of the speakers before me and disagree with the use of the term ‘invasion’ to describe what happened in Iraq, in this case I have to admit that we should act together in this House and clearly demand that both the Western democracies and the new democratic government in Iraq should respect human rights. For it is only respect for human rights that will legitimise the actions that my country, irrespective of the government in power at the time, also supported.
I would also like to state very clearly that it is laudable that the House has found the strength to speak up in defence of a Christian minority. We must also acknowledge that Christians are persecuted not only in Iraq but throughout the world and we, as Europeans, should come to the defence of the community which the honourable speaker before me mentioned.
In Europe today, and in the European Union in particular, the rights of minorities are guaranteed. The rights of religious minorities, Muslims and all other minorities one could possibly imagine and which exist on our continent are also guaranteed. It is the norm and forms part of the achievement that the European Union represents. It also represents the current state of European civilisation.
This is precisely why we have the right to call for human rights for Christians. Events taking place in Iraq affect, and this is particularly important, an ancient people from that region. It is a people whose Christianity and ethnic roots, which are inextricably tied to Iraqi soil, are deeply embedded in history. It is not an immigrant people; they are not invaders. They are the autochthonous inhabitants of those lands.
As is often the case in this House, this resolution represents a compromise enjoying cross-party support. I hope that, in this resolution, we will be just as unequivocal in calling for the new Iraqi democratic government to respect human rights as in calling for the religious freedom of all inhabitants of Iraq to be guaranteed."@en1
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