TEHRAN In today's world, the issue of human rights has become politicized, said a human rights expert participating in Asian Conference on Racism in Tehran.

Speaking in an interview with the TEHRAN TIMES yesterday, Simia Ahmadi Thoolen, a representative of the International Federation of Human Rights (IFHR), further said that religious intolerance and discrimination are major problems in Europe.

Referring to the issue of human rights in the world, Ahmadi said, "In my opinion, the issue of human rights has become politicized, and those who work with human rights organizations know very well about the human rights violations taking place in different countries."

She added, "But some human rights organizations follow a double standard in blaming different countries for their human rights violations." As regards the human rights situation in Iran, Ahmadi said that democracy and human rights have greatly been promoted in Iran, adding that what the U.S. and some European countries claim regarding human rights violations in Iran is not true.

"In the Western media you can find many stories that are not in Iran's favor, but the ordinary people no longer believe such stories," Ahmadi noted.

On the human rights in the Unites States, she said that the U.S. itself is violating the human rights, adding that a clear example of such violation is the rampant racism and mistreatment of prisoners in the United States.

Referring to Europe, Ahmadi said that there are also serious social problems like racism there. "The Turks are mistreated in Germany, and other European countries like France, England or Switzerland are also affected by racism," she pointed out. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi addressing the inaugural session of Asian Regional Conference on Combatting Racism criticized the crimes committed by the Zionist regime, particularly the massacre of Muslims, and said the regime is a "vivid example of racism and racial discrimination in the world."

Kharrazi further called for a coordinated measure by all countries to confront the crimes and racist policies of the Zionist regime.

Pointing to the Zionist regime's use of force over the past half century and the resulting tumult and crisis created in the region, the Iranian foreign minister said that the martyrdom and suffering of large number of Palestinians and the homelessness caused to a large number of others is a direct result of their acts of violence.

He said that to solve the phenomenon, the ground should be prepared for the creation of a global culture that would push for freedom, stability and respect for the wisdom of human beings irrespective of race, religion and color.

However, he further remarked, advocates of racism and racial discrimination do not believe in the principles of freedom, equilibrium and intellectuality of mankind as these principles stem from teachings of divine religions and various cultures and are in full contradictions with racism and racial discrimination.

Kharrazi also regretted that the ominous phenomenon of racism and racial discrimination is still continuing its cancerous life in a world which seeks security and justice.

He said that annihilation of such a phenomenon demands use of dialogue, understanding, and promotion of the global principles of freedom, equilibrium and intellectuality.

The Iranian foreign minister cited promulgation of the principle of diversity of cultures in the world, approval of laws for combatting manifestations of racism and racial discrimination, rejection of any political approach that encourages apathy and discrimination against races and rejection of the idea of superiority of one culture over another as the proper mechanisms to abolish racism and racial discrimination.

The conference has been called to prepare for the bigger world conference against racism, xenophobia and racial discrimination, to be held on August 31 to September 7 in Durban, South Africa.

The Tehran meeting is due to produce a declaration and a plan of action that will be used as a basis for the Durban conference.

Representatives of Asian countries as well as some 350 representatives from nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and those of national, regional and international agencies will be attending the conference.

Also speaking at the conference the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson on Monday called for protection of the world's minorities, and struggle against racism, from which she said "no region, no country," is free.

"I would encourage all governments to strengthen human rights training of the police, officials of the Judiciary and other key public services with which minority members of society come most frequently into contact," Robinson said in her inaugural speech at the three-day Asian Conference on Racism and Social Discrimination.

The former Irish president, making her first trip to Tehran since 1998, stressed the "shocking scale" of human trafficking.

Human trafficking and the "forced prostitution of women and children" required "improved regional and global cooperation to stem the tide of these horrible practices," she said.

"No region, no country, no community can fairly claim to be free from racism," Robinson said, stressing that "racism affects all of us, and every country and region faces the challenge of combating it."