The United Nations on March 10 commemorated the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event in the General Assembly Hall, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims, the United Nations website reported.
The observation follows the unanimous adoption of an Assembly resolution last year that proclaimed March 15 as the International Day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity.
The UN Secretary-General General António Guterres stated that the nearly two billion Muslims worldwide - who come from all corners of the planet - "reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity". Yet, they often face bigotry and prejudice simply because of their faith.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba K-'rösi, noted that Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which is reflected in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying and targeting of other people.
He urged countries to uphold freedom of religion or belief, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
"All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief - or the lack of them," he added.
Mr. K-'rösi said education is key to learning why these phobias exist, and it can be "transformative" in changing how people understand each another.
The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told attendees.
"It is an inexorable part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others," he said.
"Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it. We must never be bystanders to bigotry."
Stressing that "we must strengthen our defenses", Mr. Guterres highlighted UN measures such as a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites. He also called for ramping up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion.
"And we must confront bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. This includes working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet," he added.
To this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media "to set up guardrails, and enforce them."
The March 2021 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief found that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims has risen to 'epidemic proportions.'
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 Member-States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which designated March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The document stresses that terrorism and violent extremism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group. It calls for a global dialogue on the promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace, based on respect for human rights and for the diversity of religions and belief.
Marking the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia in 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that anti-Muslim bigotry is part of a larger trend of a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and hate speech targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities, as well as others. "As the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one another. Diversity is a richness, not a threat," he added.
In response to the alarming trend of rising hate speech around the world, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech.
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