New Delhi: As UNGA adopted a Pakistan sponsored Resolution on Islamophobia on the behest of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), India urged the world body to also recognize atrocities being committed against other religions.
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti addressing before an OIC-sponsored vote on the 'International Day of Islamophobia at UN said "India is proud that pluralism is at the core of our existence and we firmly believe in equal protection and promotion of all religions and faith".
The resolution was backed by 57 members of OIC and eight other countries, including China and Russia.
Condemning all acts targeting any religion, the Indian envoy in its statement underscored that "We condemn all acts motivated by anti-semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia. However, such phobias are not restricted to Abrahamic religions only. In fact, there is clear evidence that such religiophobias have affected the followers of non-Abrahamic religions as well".
Urging the world body to broaden its perspective on the issue of "Islamophobia", the Indian envoy said that it is "unfortunate that word ‘pluralism’ finds no mention in the resolution and the sponsors have not found it fit to take on board our amendments to include the word “pluralism” in the text for reasons best known to them".
Apart from India, France and the European Union also expressed reservations on this resolution saying that while religious intolerance was prevalent all over the world, the resolution singled out only Islam and excluded others.
Reminding the world body of the atrocities committed against other religions, the envoy cited examples such as the "destruction of Bamyan Buddha, violation of gurudwara premises, massacre of Sikh pilgrims in gurudwara, attack on temples, glorification of breaking of idols in temples etc", the statement highlighted that there was a rise in 'contemporary forms of religiophobia' against non-Abrahamic religions.
"It is in this context that we are concerned about elevating the phobia against one religion to the level of an international day, to the exclusion of all the others. Celebration of a religion is one thing but to commemorate the combatting of hatred against one religion is quite another. In fact, this resolution may well end up downplaying the seriousness of phobias against all other religions," India asserted.
"Hinduism has more than 1.2 billion followers, Buddhism more than 535 million and Sikhism more than 30 million spread out around the world. It is time that we acknowledged the prevalence of religiophobia, rather than single out just one," said TS Tirumurti.
Highlighting India’s belief in plurality and cohesive coexistence of various religions and sects, the envoy asserted that India has always welcomed over the centuries, those persecuted around the world for their faith or belief. And they have always found safe heaven here
"This is true whether they were Zoroastrians, or Buddhists or Jews or people of any other face".
Pakistan's Reaction
Reacting to this resolution on Islamophobia, PM Imran Khan tweeted "I want to congratulate the Muslim Ummah today as our voice against the rising tide of Islamophobia has been heard & the UN has adopted a landmark resolution introduced by Pakistan, on behalf of OIC, designating 15 March as International Day to Combat Islamophobia".
"Today UN has finally recognised the grave challenge confronting the world: of Islamophobia, respect for religious symbols & practices & of curtailing systematic hate speech & discrimination against Muslims. The next challenge is to ensure implementation of this landmark resolution".
