MAPIM STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH DR. FRANCESCA ALBANESE

Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations) – MAPIM
Space U8 , Eco Mall , Bukit Jelutong , Shah Alam , Selangor Malaysia
azmiabdulhamid58@gmail.com
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Press Release
16th Feberuary 2026

Attempts to Discredit UN Mandate Holders Must Be Rejected

The Malaysian Consultative Council of IslamicOrganizations (MAPIM) expresses its firm solidarity with Francesca Albanese,United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, in the face of the recent wave of misinformation and reputational attacks targeting her work.

The campaign to portray her statements as antisemitic is deeply troubling and appears designed to undermine the credibility of one of the few international voices consistently raising concerns about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Structural Critique Is Not Bigotry

Dr. Albanese’s remarks identifying systemic factors that enable violence, including financial flows, technological systems, and military supply chains, represent legitimate structural analysis grounded in international law and human rights frameworks.

Such analysis does not target any religion or ethnicity. It examines power structures, accountability gaps, and policy decisions.

Misrepresenting this discourse as hatred serves only to distract from the substantive issues she has highlighted.

The Role of a UN Special Rapporteur

Special Rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the United Nations to:

●Monitor human rights conditions
Report violations
●Provide legal analysis
Hold actors accountable
Their independence is essential.

Attempts to intimidate or silence mandate holders weaken the international human rights system itself.

MAPIM stresses that criticism of policies or state actions must never be conflated with hostility toward a people or faith community.

Selective Outrage and Political Pressure

MAPIM notes with concern the rapid condemnation issued by certain political leaders while large-scale civilian suffering in Gaza continues with insufficient accountability.

This imbalance contributes to the perception that international responses are influenced more by political alignment than humanitarian principle.
Human rights credibility depends on consistency.

Protecting Truth and Accountability

The global community must defend the right of independent UN experts to:

●Speak without intimidation
Present evidence based findings
● Critique state conduct under international law.

Suppressing critical voices does not change realities on the ground. It only deepens mistrust in international institutions.

MAPIM Position

MAPIM affirms:

● Full support for the independence and integrity of UN Special Rapporteurs.
● Rejection of misinformation campaigns designed to silence human rights advocacy.
● Commitment to defending principled voices calling for accountability in Gaza.
● The importance of distinguishing legitimate criticism from hate speech.

International law must remain anchored in truth, not political pressure.

Dr. Francesca Albanese’s work reflects the essential purpose of international human rights mechanisms: to speak truth to power and defend the dignity of vulnerable populations.

Efforts to discredit her should be recognised for what they are — attempts to shift attention away from urgent humanitarian realities.

MAPIM stands firmly in solidarity with her mandate and her commitment to justice.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President
Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM)