UN designates March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday congratulated the Muslim Ummah after the United Nations (UN) adopted a landmark resolution, designating March 15  as "International Day to Combat Islamophobia."

Taking to Twitter, the prime minister wrote the UN has finally recognised the grave Islamophobia challenge confronting the world.

"Today, the UN has finally recognised the grave challenge confronting the world: of Islamophobia, respect for religious symbols, and practices and of curtailing systematic hate speech and discrimination against Muslims," the prime minister said in a series of tweets.

The prime minister, as he congratulated the Muslim Ummah, said "our voice against the rising tide of Islamophobia has been heard".

The premier shared that United Nations, comprising 193-member states, has adopted a landmark resolution introduced by Pakistan, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), designating 15 March as "International Day to Combat Islamophobia".

The OIC observes March 15 as the day to combat Islamophobia every year after the organisation passed a resolution — presented by Pakistan — at the 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in the year in November 2020.

PM Imran Khan has raised his voice against the rising trend of Islamophobia at international forums intermittently, including at the UN, and called on the global community to combat the challenge.

In January, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said that Islamophobia is not acceptable at any cost and vowed to make his country safer for Muslims.

In December 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said insulting Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) does not count as freedom of expression.

Insults to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are a "violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam," Putin had said.