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| International-UN-NGOs |
| UN duped, ancient 'bill of rights' bogus |
| 2008-07-17 |
| In the UK, author and historian Tom Holland, who wrote about the rise of Cyrus in his book Persian Fire, joined the condemnation of the cylinder as a model text enshrining human rights. "It's nonsense, absolute nonsense," he said. "The ancient Persians were not some early form of Swedish Social Democrats." He added that conquering a huge empire in the ancient world did not come without a list of atrocities, and "he staged several salutatory atrocities when he invaded." He added that the UN's adoption of the cylinder stemmed in part from a desire to claim some eastern roots "when it is so Western in its philosophical underpinnings". But the UN, which has promoted the relic as an "ancient declaration of human rights" since 1971, when then Secretary General Sithu U Thant was given a replica by the sister of the Shah of Iran, stood by its importance yesterday. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #4 Trying to justify a "Devine Right". |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-07-17 11:53 |
| #3 IMHO, everything the UN does is bogus, so this claim fits right in. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-07-17 09:33 |
| #2 even if it was Persian propaganda, the fact that they thought it desirable to CLAIM they were tolerant marks them off from other ME conquerors, like the Assyrians. And their record of local cultural autonomy isnt bad, at least if the Bible is to be believed. Thats not the same as the Athenian respect for the free individual, but its not a bad legacy. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-07-17 09:20 |
| #1 that reputation has been challenged by German historians who claim that the UN is unjustly celebrating the rule of a man every bit as despotic as any other land-grabbing leader. Of course, none of the other land grabbing leaders get mentioned by name in the Bible 23 times. Cyrus is the only gentile to be designated as a messiah, a divinely-appointed king (Isaiah 45). Alexander the great was so moved by the inscription on the tomb of Cyrus that he ordered a Greek translation to be carved alongside it. O man, whoever you are and wherever you come from, for I know you will come, I am Cyrus who won the Persians their empire. Do not therefore grudge me this little earth that covers my body |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-07-17 07:54 |