UNITED NATIONS, Mar 16 (APP): The UN General Assembly Friday adopted a Pakistani resolution, by a big majority, that calls for, among other elements, concerted action to fight ongoing violence against Muslims and requests the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia. Prior to adopting the new resolution, entitled: \u2018Measures to Combat Islamophobia\u2019, by a vote of 113 in favour to none against, with 44 abstentions, the 193-member Assembly rejected two amendments proposed by a group of European nations. India, along with most of European states, abstained on the resolution.<\/p>\n
The proposals would have replaced key language in the resolution, including calling for a focal point instead of a UN special envoy and removing references to the desecration of the holy Quran. The U.N. created the International Day through a resolution adopted following attacks on two mosques Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 51 people dead on this day in 2019. Two years ago, the General Assembly declared March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia under the terms of a resolution, also presented by Pakistan, with the sponsorship of the OIC and other Like-minded Member States.<\/p>\n
Introducing the resolution, Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said despite the resolution and other actions as well as efforts by leaders promoting inter-religious and inter-communal harmony, the incidents of Islamophobia \u2013 of discrimination, prejudice and violence against Muslims \u2013 have risen exponentially both at the societal and State levels. \u201cThese are manifested by the despicable acts of desecration of the Holy Quran with seven such incidents recorded last year alone,\u201d he said. \u201cThe lynching of Muslims by \u2018cow vigilantes\u2019: They are manifested by the widespread hate speech against Muslims, online and offline, in discrimination in education and employment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn attacks on women wearing the hijab. In the vandalization and destruction of mosques and other holy sites. In racial and religious profiling. In the media outlets, spawning hate and prejudice and fueling hate and prejudice. In the calls for genocide against Muslim minorities which go unpunished,\u201dthe Pakistani envoy added. But most governments , he said, refuse to adopt laws and rules that would prevent and punish such acts of Islamophobia and incitement to violence on the spurious agenda of the right to \u201cfreedom of expression\u201d. \u201cYet,\u201d he said, \u201cthis freedom ends if the Holocaust is denied. This freedom ends if you are demonstrating for Palestinian rights or protesting against Israel\u2019s \u2018plausible genocide\u2019 in Gaza.\u201d \u201cWhat is worse is that Islamophobia is not only tolerated, but propagated by a growing number of States and political leaders in the democracies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ambassador Akram said, noting the rise of right wing and fascist partners in recent elections confirms and consolidates this Islamophobic trend. \u201cThis could lead to an inter-regional anti-Muslim \u2018coalition of the killing.\u2019 Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Pakistani envoy said the Indian leader \u201cgleefully consecrates a Hindu Temple on the ruins of a historic 500-year-old Mosque.\u201d \u201cA citizenship law is implemented that would deny asylum to Muslims alone and is designed to render 200 million Muslims either stateless or second-class citizens, he said. \u201cA Home Minister (Amit Shah) castigates the police for being \u2018too lenient\u2019 against pro-Palestinian demonstrators opposing Israel\u2019s brutal Gaza campaign. \u201cImmigration policies are designed to deliberately exclude Muslims. Hijab bans are officially imposed. The Muslim call to prayer is prohibited in some States and ridiculous rules have been promulgated to prevent so-called \u2018love jihad\u2019 in the \u2018largest democracy\u2019. <\/p>\n
Islamic names of cities are being replaced. The Islamic legacy is to be obliterated.\u201d He added, \u201cThe killing of over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza mostly women and children and calls for genocide against them has been justified by describing them as \u2018human animals\u2019. The same mindset has led to the foreign occupation and suppression of Muslims elsewhere and to the series of foreign interventions in Muslim countries.\u201d UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said \u201cdivisive rhetoric and misrepresentation are stigmatizing communities\u201d and everyone must unite to combat intolerance, stereotypes and bias. \u201cOnline hate speech is fuelling real-life violence,\u201d the UN chief said in a statement, emphasizing that digital platforms must moderate hateful content and protect users from harassment. Institutional discrimination and other barriers are violating the human rights and dignity of Muslims, and much of this disturbing trend is part of a wider pattern of attacks against religious groups and vulnerable populations, also including Jewish people, minority Christian communities and others, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must confront and root out bigotry in all its forms,\u201d he declared. \u201cLeaders must condemn inflammatory discourse and safeguard religious freedom. \u201cTogether, let us commit to promoting mutual respect and understanding, foster social cohesion and build peaceful, just and inclusive societies for all.\u201d In Geneva, Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said all forms of religious hatred and intolerance are unacceptable. \u201cThe message today is perhaps more urgent than ever: we are all well past the hour to restore peace, tolerance and respect,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know that fear breeds hate, ignorance and distrust of the other.\u201d \u201cIslamophobia has stolen lives\u201d, dehumanising entire communities and sparking \u201ctorrents of hate speech, magnified by social media\u201d, he said, citing multiple reports on \u201chuge spikes\u201d in Islamophobic incidents amid the current conflict in the Middle East, with a nearly 600 per cent increase in some countries in North America and Europe. States must record such incidents and urgently step up their efforts to combat intolerance against people based on religion or belief using the many available tools at their disposal, including the OHCHR guide to developing anti-discrimination legislation. \u201cFaith literacy \u2013 in other words, knowledge and understanding about the values of each religion and belief \u2013 is also crucial,\u201d Turk said, urging States to include it as part of comprehensive training initiatives on combating religious hatred for law enforcement officers and the judiciary, faith-based actors, teachers and media professionals. Also in Geneva, Nassima Baghli, Permanent Observer of the OIC, hosted a commemorative event on Friday, saying that \u201cIslamophobia is on the rise following the Israeli aggression on Gaza\u201d. Citing recent anti-Muslim incidents, she pointed to cases several months ago of the desecration of the holy Quran. \u201cDiscrimination and stereotypes based on religion or belief are doing a lot of harm as they dehumanize people and prevent them from enjoying their rights,\u201d Ms. Baghli said. \u201cWe need to combat these scourges with great resolve with all the tools at our disposal,\u201d she said. \u201cOur common goal is to promote mutual understanding and respect for all.\u201d As millions around the world start observing the holy month of Ramadan, sadly in Gaza and across the region, many will mark this month facing conflict, displacement and fear\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 16 (APP): The UN General Assembly Friday adopted a Pakistani resolution, by a big majority, that calls for, among other elements, concerted action to fight ongoing violence against Muslims and requests the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia. […]<\/p>\n
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