UN Declares March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday adopted by consensus a resolution introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that proclaims March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

The resolution was sponsored by 57 members of the OIC, and eight other countries, including China and Russia.

Several member states hailed the document, but the representatives of India, France and the European Union expressed reservations, saying that while religious intolerance was prevalent all over the world, the resolution singled out only Islam and excluded others.

Indian Ambassador TS Trimurti complained that the resolution did not cover anti-Hindu phobia, among other religions.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated the Muslim ummah on the development.

Under its terms, the resolution strongly deplores all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief and such acts directed against their places of worship, as well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines that are in violation of international law.

'Spread of Islamophobia is alarming'

At the UNGA session today, Ambassador Munir Akram, who is the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said, "Islamophobia is a reality."

Noting that the phenomenon was growing, he stressed the need to address it.

Akram highlighted that Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first to raise the issue of Islamophobia at the UN in his "historic" 2019 address to the General Assembly, and had repeatedly called for international attention and efforts to address it.

"Today's resolution invites all member states, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations, civil society, private sector, and faith-based organizations to observe the international day in an appropriate manner," he said.

In his introductory remarks, Akram said Islamophobia's manifestations — hate speech, discrimination, and violence against Muslims — were proliferating in several parts of the world.

"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 Muslim world," the Pakistan envoy said.

The ambassador referred to a report of UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which he said stated that since 9/11 attacks, "institutional suspicion and fear of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim has escalated to epidemic proportions".