Rebuilding Image with Omar El-Bashir?

26 June 2011 | 03:57 Code : 14085 Asia & Africa

By Dr.Ali Bigdeli

The International Conference on the Global Fight against Terrorism, which began in Tehran today, seems to be another effort by the government to reconstruct the Islamic Republic’s image on the international scene; another measure to prove that in spite of the West’s efforts, Iran is not an isolated country and has the mettle to push back the waves of attacks dispatched by the US and other global powers. Tehran’s choice, nevertheless, seems flawed, as terrorism is not the primary accusation leveled by the West against the Islamic Republic at this time. Thus it seems that, at the moment, the anti-terrorism conference offers little to help Iran take the lid off the boiling relations with key decision-makers of the international community.

At this point, Iran’s two basic challenges with the West are charges against its human rights record and its nuclear activities. The West is preoccupied with its suspicions toward Iran’s nuclear activities, sending Iran’s dossier from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the UN Security Council and penalizing Iran with four sanction resolutions.

Nevertheless, the issue of human rights is once again reappearing as a mouth-watering option for the West to pressure Iran, apparent in the daily publishing of news about violations of human rights by Iran in the Western media. The appointment of a human rights rapporteur by the UN Human Rights’ Council is the latest effort which may even overshadow the saga of Iran’s nuclear program. At this point, hosting a conference on human rights would be a more powerful response to Western accusations against Iran. Of course, this would be effective if only tied with further attention towards a real improvement of human rights conditions in Iran.

But the biggest blemish of the anti-terrorism conference in Tehran is the inviting of Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir, who is charged with genocide in Darfur. His presence will not only blunt the desirable effect of the conference, but also tarnishes Iran’s image. Few countries around the world find pleasure in hosting a leader who is indicted with crimes against humanity by The Hague. Whatever the government’s attitude towards these international institutions (tools of powerful states, etc.), their verdicts are binding and effective and defiance of them makes Iran lose face; in a fashion that such conferences fall short of compensating.