UNESCO that promotes dialogue among Civilizations was the scene of one of the most clear and fierce Clash - Conflict of civilizations seen in a while. The manner that the West dealt with the candidature of the Arab - muslim and countries of the South candidate was a strong and clear signal that have created ripples of negative signal through the Arab region.
In the process of electing of a new UNESCO Director-General.Farouk Hosni, Egyptian Culture Minister since 1986, was set to succeed Koïchiro Matsuura at the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Nine candidates were in the running when UNESCO's council began voting, including European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who was seen as Hosni main competition.
But the election of the cultural organization head have seen the most fierce political campaign in it's history. With an unprecedented five-round race and a global media coverage and smear campaign.
One of the candidate needs to receives the required 30 votes from the 58 nations represented on the council during one of the 5 rounds.
Hosni who was leading through the 4 first rounds without being able to secure the required 30 votes.
There were 9 candidates for the position, Hosni was in the lead in the first round with 22 votes while Irina Bokova got 8 and Hosni remained in the lead till the third round.
the forth round have seen a political maneuver from the anti hosni block, the European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner withdraws from the race.
"Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner decided to withdraw in the interest of the organization and European unity" said a statement from the Austrian embassy.Benita Ferrero-Waldner have won 11 votes in a third ballot , behind Bulgaria's ex-foreign minister Irina Bokova, who won 13 and Egypt's culture minister Hosni who secured 25 votes, 2 more than in the previous round but still short of the 30 needed to win election at the organization.
the fourth round was 29 vote to each Hosni and Irina Bokova, Hosni gaining 4 votes while Irina getting a miraculous 16 votes.
According to Hosni there was an intensive focus on him throughout the media worldwide that was focusing on one phrase taken out of context to show him as an anti Semite, adding never such a coverage for this post was done before
He says that for the first time this post was politicized and that jews around the world were doing their best to prevent him from getting this post.
With 27 Hosni lost the fifth round to Irina that got 29 votes, hosni commented that the 2 votes he lost were a betrayal.
According to lemonde France and Italy voted against him in the last round while they were voting for him before.
According to Hosni the U.S. ambassador had a big role in his defeat , adding that the ambassador had 2 meetings (at 9 a.m and at 4 p.m) with the Europeans on the last day before the voting to make sure that they will vote against Farouk Hosni.
The Arab press slammed culture minister Faruq Hosni's defeat in the elections to head UNESCO as proof of a 'clash of civilizations"A clash of civilizations determines the UNESCO fight," trumpeted the headline in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.
"America, Europe and the Jewish lobby brought down Faruq Hosni after an honorable competition by the Egyptian delegation."
"The Egyptian and Arabic candidate for the post was subjected to a ferocious campaign against him by the American administration, under Jewish pressure," said the opposition weekly Al-Ahrar on its front page.
"Faruq Hosni's campaign was met with an uncivilized attack by Jewish intellectuals in France," state-owned Al-Ahram Al-Messai wrote in its leader column.
"Efforts by the US ambassador to UNESCO as well as the Zionist media in Europe and the United States succeeded in securing (his defeat)," it said.
Other papers felt the result revealed anti-Islamic sentiments.
The election showed "that the West stands against the others on the basis of religion in critical moments," the daily Rose al-Youssef wrote.
"All weapons were used (to bring about his defeat) including the continuous publishing of articles against him until the last minute," the paper said.
It described the election and the US pressure on countries to vote against Hosni as "voting at knife point".
Video summary The blogosphere, the people talk were all realizing that something strange have happened , some saying that once again they were targeted by the West.
Some of the comments made :
"If he was not an Arab, he would have been elected"
"The West is continuing it's crusade"
"Arabs should realize now that the West can not be trusted"
"The U.S is F***ing it's best Arab ally (Egypt)"
"They think we are stupid to believe that it was democracy, this is the democracy that they have... media manipulation and Lobbying"
"It is time to understand that in order to have what we want we should be able to impose our will the way they do"
Submitted by Samer from Egypt
