Human Rights Day: December 10, 2025 – Content from Speakers will be posted by Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) on the following shared Google Drive — Speaker Content Folder
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) advocates for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on our shared Universal Human Rights of Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Conscience, and Freedom of Religion, (UDHR Article 18). R.E.A.L. notes the issuance of : interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief- “Freedom of religion or belief” A/76/380-“Attributes of Freedom of Thought.” This is posted at the United Nations website at: https://undocs.org/A/76/380. This interim report discusses: (a) freedom not to disclose thoughts; (b) freedom from punishment for thoughts; (c) freedom from impermissible alteration of thoughts; (d) enabling environment for freedom of thought. This interim report also discusses seven related issues: (1) torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (2) surveillance; (3) coercive proselytism, anti-conversion and anti-blasphemy efforts; (4) intellectual freedom and education; (5) existing and emerging #technologies; (6) mental health; (7) conversion practices.
In addition with the global attacks on Freedom of Information, R..E.A.L. is also posting a copy of this interim report here at RealCourage.org.
R.E.A.L. also provides a link to this report in plain text format at: https://www.realcourage.org/freedom-of-religion-thought-un-10-2021-2/ (It seems wrong and counterproductive to require a shared report on Freedom of Thought to require a commercial company Adobe Acrobat to have an “account” to read the report.)
R.E.A.L. is encouraging public review and discussion of this interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, on Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion.
R.E.A.L. has been sharing this information on social media on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/realhumanrights/status/1499364992843460612
To the government of the People’s Republic of China, the people of conscience and freedom reject your unjust persecution of Yang Maodong in defending our shared universal human rights. We call for the day when all of China’s 1.3 billion people will be free.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty rejects the Communist Chinese (CCP) dictators sentencing of human rights activist Yang Maodong (Guo Feixiong) to six years in prison for promoting change to support human rights in China. Among his acts was to call for China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In his honor, we publish the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the Chinese language today here today, using the official translation from the United Nations. We urge people around the world to share it with Chinese people today.
In a display of anti-Islam fever, a group of nearly 200 had a protest in front of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix mosque in Phoenix, Arizona. The group was led by former U.S. Marine soldier Jon Ritzheimer. While the protest did not result in injuries or deaths, the image of numbers of individuals armed with weapons in front of a house of worship is a disgrace to America’s commitment to our Constitutional rights and our Universal Human Rights.
The media debate about the protest largely was centered on Mr. Ritzheimer and his supporter’s views on Islam. But that is not the real issue in this debate. The unanswered question is his view and his supporters’ views on the Constitution of the United States and our shared universal human rights. Our Constitution’s Bill of Rights protects our freedom of religion (under the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment); the same Constitution which Mr. Ritzheimer made a solemn vow to support and defend. America also is committed to freedom of religion under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18, signed by the United States on December 10, 1948, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Part III, Article 18, signed by the United States on October 5, 1977, and ratified on June 8, 1992.
In the United States of America, and in international law, freedom of religion is not simply a “good idea.”
Freedom of religion is THE LAW.
Freedom of speech and protest is also THE LAW.
But freedom of speech and protest, while holding an automatic weapon, is no longer “public protest.” It is nothing less than cowardly, despicable threats, which are a disgrace to all Americans, our Constitution, and our universal human rights.
Phoenix, Arizona Protests in front of Islamic Community Center on May 29, 2015 – with Cowards Holding Automatic Weapons (Source: Twitter)
According to the reports, this protest was the result of a terrorist attack on a Texas school earlier in May, during a “Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest,” designed to insult Muslims. As CNN reported, “The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix is the mosque that Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi attended for a time. They’re the men who drove from Arizona to a Dallas suburb to shoot up a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest there. Both were killed by police early this month.” But the rest of the story is that Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi shot at a security guard in an attempted terrorist attack there. That is the violence we have seen from other pro-violent jihad extremists. Those criminals paid the price for their criminal violence with their lives. This does not discount that there may be other extremists supporting Simpson and Soofi; there must continue to be a human rights call to challenge extremists, and even terrorists in every area of this nation. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) reported on and condemned the terrorist acts by Simpson and Soofi in Garland, Texas, and we defended the right to unpopular, contemptible speech by those they attacked. But there is a difference between respecting the freedom of such unpopular speech, and those extremists who take automatic weapons to protest in hate in front of a house of worship.
The idea that over 100 individuals believe that it is acceptable in the United States of America to hold an “armed” protest outside of a house of worship is an insult to the Constitution, and a slur against the laws of this nation and our shared human rights.
If this were any other nation, the images of armed individuals protesting outside of any house of worship would bring the voices of outrage and disgust from human rights activists, the United Nations, and those committed to religious freedom. So it must be, of course, with the United States as well. The number of “armed individuals” appear to be a small minority of the total protesters. Does this matter? If 100 protested outside of a Pakistan Christian church, a European Jewish synagogue, or any other house of worship anywhere in the world, but only a “small minority” of the protesters held machine guns, would this still not be a source for human rights outrage? Of course, it would, and it must, in the United States of America as well.
Furthermore, the vicious language of some of the protesters show their contempt towards the United States’ Constitution and our commitment to universal human rights of freedom of religion. The protest organizer’s call for protesters to bring guns to the event – “[p]eople are also encouraged to utilize there second amendment right at this event” – is an embarrassment to all patriotic Americans who respect our Constitution and our shared freedoms. We were lucky that no one got injured or killed – THIS time. But the failure to be consistent in our support for Constitution and our human rights remains an issue where we must continue to make change.
An Arizona Muslim activist also reported that the Arizona protest supporters included extremists advising participants to bring ammunition “coated in pig blood and fat.” R.E.A.L. has confirmed this with our own investigation as well. This path to hate, depravity, and violence can be reversed. It begins with a consistent support by all Americans for the truths that we hold self-evident, our commitment to our shared human rights, shared human dignity, and in America, our support for the Constitution.
It begins by being Responsible for Equality And Liberty – everywhere, for all of our fellow Americans, and for all of our brothers and sisters in humanity.
On Sunday night, a terrorist attack in Garland, Texas resulted in the death of two terrorist gunmen (Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi), and the injury of a security guard. As described by media outlets, the attack was made on an event held by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), an organization led by Pamela Geller. The terrorist gunmen drove up to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland on Sunday night as the event was coming to an end and shot at the security officer, Bruce Joiner, who was shot in the leg. Garland police returned fire and killed the two terrorist gunmen.
Rita Katz of the SITE Institute reports that one of the men, Elton Simpson communicated with a U.S.-Somali terrorist “Mujahid Miski,” who urged the attack. Responsible for Equality And Liberty has a statement of defiance and rejection to those terrorists who believe that their violence will deny the universal human rights of our fellow human beings. Nadir Soofi was not under the scrutiny of law enforcement sources. In addition, the Dallas Morning News provided a report on May 5, 2015, stating that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in an audio recording: “We tell America that what is coming is more bitter and harder and you will see from the soldiers of the Caliphate what harms you.”
The terrorist attack happened as Ms. Geller was finishing her speech in the Curtis Culwell Center to other attendees and media covering the event in what they called the “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest.” CNN has reported on other similar attacks.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) rejects all terrorist violence, without qualification, everywhere, and all the time. Such terrorism is a direct attack on our fellow human beings and on their universal human rights.
We do not have to agree with or like the peaceful speech or actions by another group. But they have a right to that peaceful speech when it is not criminally calling for the murder or violence against another person.
I didn’t like Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons, either. But I don’t HAVE to like them. They have the right to their free speech nonetheless, and the terrorist violence in response to free speech is always wrong. Furthermore, it is a WAR – a war on our shared universal human rights.
In fact, I passionately disagree with Ms. Geller, her AFDI organization, her SIOA organization, her anti-Islam extremist stance, and her provocative tactics. I have writtenmany times, at length of my disagreement with Ms. Geller, and our rejection of her views and actions. I have seen some of vitriolic images her SIOA organization members have previously posted of Muhammad, and to say that many were objectionable and disgusting would be the understatement of the century. But like so many in the world, I believe she is doing what she thinks is the right thing to do, as much as I disagree with her extremist views.
While we can disagree, even passionately disagree with such views, comments, and insulting cartoons, when terrorists seek to silence public debate with their guns, bombs, knives, and other weapons of war, then even those of us who passionately disagree have a common threat.
According to our Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she and her organization have the right to freedom of thought and expression without being the target of a terrorist attack.
We either do or do not believe in these universal human rights. Not just when it is convenient, pleasant, or for those with whom we agree. This is what distinguishes us from those who seek the oppression of the world, using many arguments, many tactics, and many violent actions. Our universal human rights are shared by all of us, everywhere, all the time.
There are those who may find the AFDI’s views objectionable or who disagree with it, and may choose to believe this gives them the privilege to look the other way at a terrorist attack on free speech. But when we allow that, what will happen next time, when it is your free speech? Next time, will it be YOUR freedom of expression that terrorists threaten?
We are also seeing Twitter being used as a tool for universal communications in many ways, some good, some bad. It is a tool. How the tool is used is up to our fellow human beings. But what we see this morning (and last night) is that there have been too many who have used this tool to call for new attacks of violence against people with who them disagree.
As you can see, some call for new terrorism, some praise existing terrorism, some threaten the “kuffar.” Some post graphic images of beheaded individuals and threaten to do this to others who publish such cartoons. One threatens “stop insulting the Prophet Muhammad or come your heads everywhere,” as an ISIS beheading video is posted. Others are advised to provide their Twitter threats in Arabic so that the “right community” can read them.
Let us be clear: our universal human rights are for all people. Not just for people of one religion, one race, one ethnic group, one nationality. They are not for just one country or one region of the world. Our universal human rights are UNIVERSAL. This is where we must stand united. If there is a war, this is what we must all be fighting to defend.
The L.A. Times quotes Ms. Geller as stating “This is war on free speech. What are we going to do? Are we going to surrender to these monsters?” On this point, Ms. Geller is right. This war on free speech must not go unchallenged in the United States, just like those threatening a war on free speech have been challenged in France and the rest of the world.
We must take a stand on this. When it comes to this violent terrorist attack on freedom of expression, I stand beside Pamela Geller and all those whose free expression is threatened by terrorist violence. Because if we surrender on their universal human rights, we are not just surrendering on their speech and expression, but we are surrendering the free speech and expression of all Americans and all of our fellow human beings.
#JeSuisPamelaGeller –Photo of Pamela Geller (Source Twitter)
According to the media – prior to the terrorist attack – Elton Simpson’s Twitter account was being using to send messages sympathetic to the ISIS organization and its terrorism. SITE reports that Elton Simpson communicated with a U.S.-Somali terrorist “Mujahid Miski,” who urged the attack.
To Somali terrorist “Mujahid Miski,” who uses the Twitter tool to groom others and encourage them to commit terrorism, and who reportedly inspired Elton Simpson – as well as to all terrorists.
We are NOT AFRAID OF YOU.
We say this in public – and we say it to your face.
Criminals are a cowardly lot. They seek to sneak up on the helpless, the defenseless, and those who they think cannot fight back. They use their cowardice to seek to inspire “terror,” but they truly only inspire defiance instead.
Our support for our universal human rights is essential for the equality, liberty, dignity, and security of all of our fellow human beings. I urge all of my Muslim friends who work for human rights every day to also speak out to challenge the cowards who think they will terrorize free men and women in our world.
We reject and denounce those in the media and politics who feel freedom of expression is expendable to those they disagree with. This is wrong and it is a categorical rejection of our shared universal human rights. We either have such freedoms or we do not. It is essential to make it clear that we have such shared freedoms as part of our human rights, and to be responsible for their defense.
If we are responsible for human rights, it is not just when it is convenient. It is especially important when it is not convenient and when it is challenging to do so. That when we know that we are really….
Responsible for Equality And Liberty
and it is always another GOOD DAY to be responsible for equality and liberty.
Orange Ribbon for Universal Human Rights – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
