UNITED NATIONS: Because the UN Common Meeting commemorated the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia on Friday, Pakistan, talking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), urged the worldwide group to take “decisive” motion to fight the rising incidents of Islamophobia and different types of hate in opposition to Muslim, bigotry and intolerance.
Everlasting Consultant of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram apprised the UNGA the worldwide group’s aim have to be to advertise a collective effort to fight Islamophobia with unity and empathy. The 193-member meeting additionally heard solidarity messages from UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres and the UNGA President Philemon Yang.
“We must always decide to utilising the constructive messages of peace, justice, tolerance and compassion that Islam — and certainly all religions — provide to fight Islamophobia and all different manifestations of hate, bigotry and intolerance,” stated the Pakistani envoy
In 2022, the meeting adopted a decision, co-sponsored by Pakistan, designating March 15 because the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia, which he known as a “defining second” because the world lastly recognised the hazard posed by this menace.
The day was celebrated because the Muslim world was observing the holy month of Ramadan.
“Islamophobia just isn’t restricted to at least one area — it’s resurgent within the West and the East,” Ambassador Akram stated, talking for the OIC.
“Islamophobia is now getting used as an avenue for political development and recognition, feeding the worst human instincts of concern, prejudice and hate. In some nations, Muslims are being systematically marginalised and suppressed,” he added.
On this regard, Ambassador Akram urged governments to make sure that their insurance policies and legal guidelines replicate an unambiguous dedication to spiritual tolerance; media and disinformation are usually not used to gasoline hate; no legislation is weaponised to curtail Muslim identification or discriminate in opposition to Muslims; and no citizen of any State is relegated to second-class standing based mostly on their religion.
“No nation can declare to be a real democracy whereas it systematically alienates and marginalizes its Muslim residents,” he stated.
Mentioning the results of spiritual intolerance, mass expulsions, inquisitions, pogroms and genocide, the Pakistani envoy stated, “At this time, Islamophobic postures, insurance policies and actions comply with the identical harmful — hate and intolerance have proliferated in latest occasions, particularly in opposition to Muslims.”
“We witness political narratives that search to exclude, disenfranchise, and demonise Muslims — even in societies which have acted as champions of tolerance, pluralism, democracy and human rights.”
The manifestations of Islamophobia, he identified, embrace a number of acts of desecration of Islam’s sacred symbols and websites; defamation of its revered Prophet Mohammad (PBUH); the suppression of Muslim identification — similar to hijab bans; the marginalisation of and discrimination in opposition to whole Muslim communities.
“In lots of locations,” he added, “prejudice in opposition to Muslims is being stoked fairly than suppressed; resentments are being revived fairly than reconciled; and discrimination is being legitimised by insurance policies and pronouncements.”
On this context, he cited the Christchurch bloodbath of March 15, 2019 and slaughter of Muslims in different area as “vivid illustration of Islamophobia, hatred and racism.”
Ambassador Akram thanked the UN chief for indicating his intention to appoint Miguel Moratinos, a senior Spanish diplomat and the top of UN Alliance of Civilisation, as his Particular Envoy on Islamophobia.
“We name for the early approval of the monetary sources required to allow the secretary-general and his particular envoy to implement the provisions of this Common Meeting decision on combating Islamophobia.”
The OIC, he added, seems ahead to working with the secretary-general and his particular envoy to develop a plan of motion to fight Islamophobia.
Such a plan of motion may embrace: a definition of Islamophobia and its manifestations, a mechanism to observe and compile acts of Islamophobia, a template for nationwide laws criminalising acts of Islamophobia, an accountability mechanism in addition to media and training programmes to counter Islamophobia and propagate tolerance and concord in societies.
Ambassador Akram additionally expressed appreciation for the efforts of some western nations — together with Sweden and Denmark — which have enacted legal guidelines to deal with Islamophobia — together with criminalisation of acts of desecration of the Holy Quran, and to make sure that freedom of expression just isn’t misused to propagate hate and intolerance.
He famous that Canada has appointed a particular consultant to fight Islamophobia, whereas the US launched a nationwide technique in opposition to anti-Muslim hate. Australia additionally appointed a particular envoy to advertise interfaith dialogue.
“We urge different nations to comply with swimsuit,” he stated.
In the meantime, the ambassador stated the UN Secretary Common will quickly appoint a particular envoy to steer efforts in direction of combating Islamophobia.
In his message on the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia, Ambassador Akram stated Pakistan and the OIC nations will work with the secretary-general and his particular envoy to develop a concrete plan of motion to fight Islamophobia.