A great interview of Gita by DNAIndia:
Given your experience with Amnesty after you tried to red flag its association with Begg, what are your concerns about the links between human rights groups such as Amnesty and radical groups such as Cageprisoners?
I’m afraid it is beginning to show that some human rights organisations have remained wilfully ignorant of the real agendas of a group like Cageprisoners. The reasons for this are still quite mysterious. One clear reason is that they want to promote an image of a ‘perfect victim’. If they did any research into that person’s ideology, or their institutional links with other jihadis, that would sully the idea of their standard bearer as being perfectly innocent. It might show that they are promoting violence and discrimination. That is why it is necessary to trash research into it as ‘innuendo and baseless allegations’. However, Amnesty International’s extensive PR for Begg still seems quite extraordinary. He is the director of an organisation and well able to defend himself.
Given the long history of co-operation between the Taliban and the US, before the Taliban fell out of favour, is it fair to blacklist Begg merely on the ground that he is associated with the Taliban?
I never suggested blacklisting Begg, merely denying him the respectability that comes with close partnering with Amnesty International.
Secondly, human rights should not depend on a ‘realpolitik’ understanding of the world. If the lives and freedoms of people are under threat, their ability to earn a living curtailed, then we have the duty to make the world understand that the Taliban should not be rehabilitated. It is a very old colonial policy to use the religious fundamentalists to contain and control a population that is considered unruly. This is what is happening in Britain and it is being exported to other parts of the world.
Brilliant as ever. Read the entire interview in full.