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Page 8 • The BATTALION "W'ORJLD Wednesday • September 6,1995 First lady criticizes forced abortion, genital mutilation □ Countries such as Iran and China argue that human rights vary according to each country's social and economic circumstances. BEIJING (AP) — Hillary Clinton named no names, but everyone knew whom she was talking about. Her pointed emphasis on human rights, delivered in crisp, unadorned language from the heart of the last Communist superpower, electrified her audience at the U.N. Fourth World Con ference on Women. Tuesday’s speech denounced the crime, prevalent in India, of dousing wives in gasoline and setting them on fir$ because they don’t contribute enough wealth to the family. Clinton attacked the practice of mutilating young girls’ genitals, which is prevalent in some African and Islamic societies. The Bosnia conflict hung unspoken in the air as she lamented “thousands of women (who) are subjected to rape as a tactic or prize of war.” Clinton did not mention China as a prime offender when she criticized ster ilization and forced abortion. Clinton’s words cut like an ax, es pecially when she prefaced no fewer than seven successive sentences with the words, “It is a violation of HU MAN rights ....” Freedom “means the right of people to assemble, organize, and debate open ly,” not “taking citizens away from their loved ones and jailing them.” The loudest of several bursts of ap plause from the delegates came when she criticized China for the “indefensi ble” act of preventing many women from attending or participating fully in the conference. She was referring to the harassment of delegates with agendas China doesn’t like, and the outright refusal of visas to some of them. Talking to reporters later, Clinton said she hoped China got her message. “It’s important that all govern ments which in any way in fringe upon human rights know that this conference is taking a strong stand about human rights and that the entire world is trying to move toward re alization of human rights,” she said- Her speech will be tak en as a vindication by those who said the first lady should attend the conference. Some critics of China said she should away. “We’re very pleased she made a such a strong statement,” said delegate Dorothy Thomas of New York-based Human Rights Watch. Shahin Gobari of the National Coun cil of Resistance of Iran, the main group fighting the Islamic regime, also wel comed it, saying, “The more emphasis is put on women’s rights, the more it will encourage the women of Iran who are living un der pressure.” Thomas cautioned, “Words are not enough. There are women suf fering human rights abuses around the world. They can’t wait for there to be another conference.” Chinese officials did not immediately comment. The state-run Xinhua News Agency, which has carried reports on every oth er major speech at the conference, ig nored Clinton’s. Given Beijing’s continual sparring with Washington over human rights Clinton’s speech is unlikely to go down well here. Homeira Yeganeh an Iranian cover ing the conference for the state-run news agency IRNA said, “Mrs. Clinton was only talking, and talking is very nice ... but I can’t understand what is meant by human rights.” Human rights “must be according to the culture and customs” of each nation, said Yeganeh, dressed in a black chador from head to ankle. She criticized the conference plat form under debate for being based on “Western culture, not on Eastern or Is lamic culture.” Her remark encapsulates the debate between the West, which argues that human rights are universal, and coun tries such as Iran, China and others in Asia, which say human rights vary ac cording to each country’s social and eco nomic circumstances. 1995 _ , “Back to School Luau” O | 7:00 p.m. Cain Pool MSC Black Awareness Committee Priest .1 8:00 & 10:00 p.m. Riuhier Auditorium MSC Film Society 8 & 9 Rocky Horror Picture Show Midnight MSC Grove MSC Cepheid Variable Committee While You Were Sleeping 7:00 & 9:30 p.m. Rudder Auditorimn MSC Film Society •4 O I “Business Etiquette” I 6:00 p.m. 601 Rudder MSC Council Development 15 “Hispanic Heritage Month” La IVoche Mexicana BufTet & Entertainment Room 201 MSC 7:30 p.m. MSC Committee for the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture & Mexican Student Association flS] 1 5 I “^“tinguished Visitor Executive Series” 10:00 - 2:00 p.m. Room TBA MSC MBA/Law Committee 15 & 16 Batman Forever 7:00 & 9:30 p.in. Rudder Auditorium MSC Film Society Op I Mv Familv/Mi Famiha f- 7:00 & 9:30 p.m. Rudder Theater 23 I MSC Film Society (23] “The Power of Five” 8:00 p.m. Rudder Auditorimn MSC Opera & Performing Arts Society pc I “Poster Sale” 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.in. to . MSC Hallway MSC Visual Arts Committee [28] Panther w/ Talk by Bobby Seale :00 & 9:30 p.m. Rudder Auditorimn MSC Black Awareness & Film Society 29 Die Hard: With a Vengeance £ ( 7:00 & 9:30 p.m. 30 Rudder Theater/Auditorimn MSC Film Society 30 | Series’ 10:00 - 2:00 p.m. Visitor Executive Room TBA MSC MBA/Law Committee Av. fU&vyc coiC f 4S- fS /5 0% us ysun. 4jbeccat needs. request HS&fce/tUsu t&iee (3) uxyU&u} tbttfS /Mon. Co c6e event Co enoSCe us Co osstst tfou Co C&e test o£ oun odtitty. If you have any questions regarding these events, please call 845-1515. All tickets may be purchased at the . 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