UN makes March 15 International Day to Combat Islamophobia

LONDON: The United Nations (UN) has adopted a resolution, proposed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Pakistan to designate March 15 the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

The resolution was adopted two years to the day since an extremist murdered over 50 Muslims in a New Zealand terror attack on two mosques. It means that the day will be cemented as an annual reminder of the need to combat Islamophobia.

The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, on behalf of the OIC. “Islamophobia is a reality. Its manifestations — hate speech, discrimination, and violence against Muslims — are proliferating in several parts of the world,” he said. “Such acts of discrimination, hostility and violence towards Muslim individuals and communities constitute grave violations of their human rights and violate their freedom of religion and belief. They also cause great anguish within the Islamic world.”

Akram cited the words of the UN’s special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, who said: “Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, institutional suspicion and fear of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim has escalated to epidemic proportions.”

Women and girls have often found themselves at the sharp end of this hatred, said Akram, adding: “The gender aspect of Islamophobia is also gaining prominence, with girls and women being targeted due to mode of their dress and the general notion that Muslim women are oppressed and thus must be liberated.”

He warned that Islamophobia is a “poorly understood” phenomenon that often intersects with anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment. As such, he said, it is “essential” to promote information about this “disturbing global trend” that can reach the very top of governments in many parts of the world.

The adoption of the resolution follows years of discussion about the need for an international day to combat Islamophobia, initiated in Makkah in 2019 following the New Zealand mosque attacks.

At that time, the OIC members, including Saudi Arabia, “stressed the necessity to combat hate and fear of Islam and Muslims.” Our correspondent adds: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said he wanted to congratulate the Muslim Ummah “as our voice against the rising tide of Islamophobia has been heard and the UN has adopted a landmark resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, designating March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia”.

He said this in a tweet and added: “Today the UN has finally recognised the grave challenge confronting the world of Islamophobia, respect for religious symbols and practices and curtailing systematic hate speech and discrimination against Muslims. The next challenge is to ensure implementation of this landmark resolution.”