UNGA: The UNGA overwhelmingly condemned hate speech and attacks on religious symbols, holy books, and places of worship.
Pakistan co-sponsored Morocco-backed Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech.
The 193-member legislature approved it amid rising Quran desecration.
Diplomats said Pakistan, Malaysia, and Egypt spearheaded the effort to resolve the language to protect religious places, symbols, and holy books.
“Strongly deploring all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief. As well as any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, homes, businesses and properties. Schools, cultural centres or places of worship. As well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law”. Paragraph reads.
Spain proposed removing “in violation of international law” from that paragraph.
On behalf of the European Union, the Spanish delegate stressed that while such actions are highly unpleasant and disrespectful, they do not violate international law and advocated removing the reference to “in violation of international law”.
The wording amendment failed. 44 voted yes, 62 against. 24 abstained.
The general assembly called on member states to work with all stakeholders to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue, respect, and acceptance of differences, and to reject hate speech that incites discrimination, hostility, and violence.
Social media companies’ role
It also urged member states and social media companies to combat hate speech. As well as its growing dissemination, support research into its reduction, and improve user access to reporting channels.
According to diplomats, Pakistan’s proposal expressed worry about the surge in discrimination, intolerance, and violence, including Islamophobia.
Pakistan’s delegate, Bilal Chaudhry, expressed his “profound satisfaction” over the resolution’s adoption. He said its echoed the OIC’s resolution on religious hatred, recently adopted at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
He noted that that landmark resolution denounced “all advocacy and manifestations of religious hatred, including recent public and premeditated acts that have desecrated the Quran” and called for countries to implement laws to prosecute those guilty.
With serial Quran desecrations, Islamophobia is rising. “These acts are not just a provocation to more than two billion Muslims around the world. But a step to sabotage interfaith harmony and peace,” the Pakistani representative said.
“Such incidents are also a manifestation of racial hatred and xenophobia, and absence of preventive legal deterrence, inaction, and shying away from speaking out encourages further incitement to hatred and violence,” Chaudhry said.
“The text does not seek to curtail free speech, but tries to underline the special duties and responsibilities of the international community to safeguard interfaith peace and harmony,” he said.
