VZCZCXRO8406
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHSA #0561 0831622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241622Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7802
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1285
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 6670
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0792
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9013
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1286
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0593

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000561 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DRL/MLGA FOR MELIKE YETKEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF SA
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA TO VOTE YES ON 'DEFAMATION OF 
RELIGION' RESOLUTION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 27376 
 
 
¶1.  South Africa will vote in favor of the "Combating 
defamation of religions" resolution, if the latter is put to 
vote in the U.N. Human Rights Council.  The DFA's Pitso 
Montwedi, Chief Director for Human Rights and Humanitarian 
Affairs, said that South Africa has supported the resolution 
in the past and would do so again.  South Africa was 
sympathetic, he said, to the concern of the Organization of 
the Islamic Conference (OIC) over generalizations and 
stereotypes in which the Muslim faith was equated with 
terrorism.  Montwedi indicated there was not scope for 
influence or persuasion for a change in the vote or for 
abstention. 
 
¶2.  Montwedi remarked that his own sources suggested the 
measure might not be put to a vote at all, citing a prior 
agreement between the OIC and EU states that the latter would 
not run any resolutions related to religious belief, 
specifically including this one.  Montwedi said the OIC is 
left "wondering what to do," and may choose not to put the 
resolution to a vote. 
 
¶3.  Poloffs continue to meet with Montwedi biweekly, working 
to harmonize USG and SAG understanding of each others' 
perspectives on such themes. 
 
LA LIME