UN designates March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia

Foreign OfficeUN designates March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a landmark resolution introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC Countries designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

In his statement on the designation of March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the resolution reflects the sentiments of more than 1.5 billion Muslims all around the world.

The foreign minister said that it’ a matter of great satisfaction and pride for Pakistan to have steered this initiative under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first Muslim leader to raise the issue of Islamophobia at the UN in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2019. The prime minister has since been regularly advocating the need to effectively combat the scourge of Islamophobia at various regional and international forums.

The foreign minister said that the 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Niger’s Capital Niamey in November 2020 unanimously adopted a resolution initiated by Pakistan for the designation of March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Over the past year, Pakistan, together with other Islamic countries, pursued an extensive diplomatic process with UN Member States. Through constructive engagement, we and our OIC partners, were able to secure unanimous adoption by the UN General Assembly.

Qureshi said that the adoption of this resolution comes at a time when hate speech, discrimination and violence against Muslims are proliferating in several parts of the world including in our neighbourhood. It is on vivid display in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Islamophobia today is manifested in negative profiling by security agencies, stigmatization, deliberate vandalizing of Islamic symbols and holy sites, killings by cow vigilantes, discriminatory laws and policies, ban on hijab, attacks on mosques, pronouncements by far-right parties that call for expulsion and even “genocide” of Muslims, anti-Muslim migrant bias, and attacks on the dignity of Muslim women.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the commemoration of an International Day to Combat Islamophobia will:

  • Send a clear message against contemporary challenges of racism, discrimination and violence against Muslims;
  • Raise international awareness about increasing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred; and
  • Promote a message of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and interfaith and cultural harmony.

The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that we want to build bridges. We want to promote respect for all religions and beliefs.

“I reiterate Pakistan’s call for a global dialogue amongst civilizations under the ambit of the United Nations to promote peaceful co-existence and interfaith harmony,” he said.

“I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Pakistani diplomats, whose tireless work has culminated in the designation of this Day by the UN general assembly.”

Qureshi said that Pakistan will continue to advance international efforts to protect individuals against xenophobia, intolerance, discrimination, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, violence, incitement to violence and hate crimes based on religion or belief.

Must read

Recent News

Moscow says it won’t allow US to silence UNSC on Israeli violence against Palestinians Monitoring Desk: Russian envoy in United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that the UN Security Council should bring peace, stability and prosperity to the Middle East and Russia would not allow United States to silence UNSC over the issue of Gaza crisis. According to TASS news Agency, Nebenzya said that Moscow will continue to call for an end to violence against Palestinians and will not allow the US to muzzle the UN Security Council as Washington seeks to support Israel's operation in Gaza. "We will continue to stand firmly for ending violence against the Palestinians. Without a shadow of a doubt, we will continue to expose the abuses and sanctimony with which the US is handling the situation. We will not allow the Americans to gag the entire council with their hands in an effort to encourage further continuation of Israel's ruthless operation," he said in a speech at the Security Council.

Moscow won’t allow the US to silence the UNSC on Israeli violence against Palestinians

0
Monitoring Desk: Russian envoy to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that the UN Security Council should bring peace, stability, and prosperity to the...

From Valdai to Margalla Dialogue —- All roads to Civilisations go through Islamabad

0
By Shazia Anwer CheemaThe emergent realities of global security are fundamentally transforming the frame of references and trajectorial approaches toward them. New security architecture...

12 more men in uniform embraced martyrdom for the motherland in Pakistan

0
Monitoring Desk: 12 more men in uniform embraced martyrdom for the motherland in Pakistan, said Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Army.On...
Dr. Attia Anwar

Lifelong learning

0
By Dr. Attia AnwarAs we age, our minds and mental health become more important. We should try to maintain and improve them. Education is...
12th Defense Expo 'Ideas 2024' 'Weapons for Peace' a major step in defense diplomacy

12th Defense Expo ‘Ideas 2024’ ‘Weapons for Peace’ a major step in defense diplomacy

0
By Asghar Ali MubarakIdeas 2024, the global exhibition of defense equipment, will begin today at the Karachi Expo Center on November 19, in which...
Advertisement