UN General Assembly adopts a resolution urging united action to combat rising Islamophobia

Amid a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate, top UN officials condemned the scourge on Friday as the General Assembly adopted a resolution to push back against it during commemorations marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

The new resolution, tabled by Pakistan, calls for, among other things, concerted action to fight ongoing violence against Muslims and requests the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia.

The resolution condemns any call for religious hatred and incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against Muslims.

The world body created the International Day through a resolution adopted following attacks on two mosques Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 51 people dead on March 15 in 2019.

The new resolution, by a vote of 113 in favour to none against, with 44 abstentions.

The UN chief on Friday said “divisive rhetoric and misrepresentation are stigmatizing communities” and everyone must unite to combat intolerance, stereotypes and bias.

“Online hate speech is fueling real-life violence,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement, emphasizing that digital platforms must moderate hateful content and protect users from harassment.

“We must confront and root out bigotry in all its forms,” he declared.

China urges all countries to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude, take concrete actions to combat discrimination and violence against Muslims, prohibit incitement to hatred on the basis of religion or belief, and put an end to impunity, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations said on Friday.

“Freedom of expression should not be used as a talisman for hate speech against Muslims, still less as an excuse for government inaction”, added Dai Bing.

Hamda Mustafa