Jeddah: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomes the adoption of the resolution on “Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence” by the UN Human Rights Council as a significant step in strengthening the international community’s efforts and resolve to reject the desecration of holy texts and religious intolerance.
Following a request by the OIC Group of countries in Geneva in reaction to a series of provocative acts of desecration of copies of the Holy Qur’an in a number of European and other countries, the resolution was approved during the urgent debate at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council.
The unanimous resolution denounces the most recent deliberate and public desecrations of the Holy Qur’an and emphasizes the need to hold those responsible accountable in accordance with national commitments derived from international human rights law.
It also urges the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all relevant special procedures to speak out against the advocacy of religious hatred. It requests the Human Rights Council to identify drivers and manifestations of religious hatred, outline existing gaps in laws, policies, practices, and law enforcement that impede the prevention and persecution of public and premeditated acts, and propose measures aimed at countering acts of religious hatred that hinder the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Through the resolution, States are encouraged to adopt national laws and policies to prevent and counter acts and advocacy of religious hatred.
The OIC has always urged the international community to resolutely tackle the repeated incidents of desecration of holy books, the rise of xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, discrimination based on religion or belief, hate speech, and incitement to violence.
It has called for the condemnation and rejection of the abhorrent Islamophobic actions that constitute incitement to hatred, exclusion, and racism and clearly undermine inter-religious harmony, dialogue, and peaceful co-existence of diverse communities, highlighting that these premeditated acts cannot be accepted under any justification or conflated with the exercise of the right to freedom of expression or opinion.
The OIC strongly believes that the adoption of the historic resolution by the Human Rights Council will open a new era in terms of dialogue and collective efforts aimed at curbing manifestations of religious hatred and incitement to violence.
In these challenging times, there is an urgent need to unite in upholding of the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among peoples and civilizations.
Following the adoption of the resolution, the OIC Secretary-General, Hissein Brahim Taha, has commended all the States that have sponsored the draft resolution and those that have supported it.
He also commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the current Chair of the Islamic Summit and Chair of the OIC Executive Committee, for its commitment and initiative to convene an urgent meeting of the Executive Committee on this matter, which led to a successful debate at the UN Human Rights Council.
He reiterated the OIC’s call upon the international community to stand firm against the manifestations of discrimination, intolerance, and incitement to hatred and to unite in the upholding of the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among peoples and civilizations.
He urged the international community to ensure the implementation and follow-up of the resolution adopted today, by the UN Human Rights Council.
COMMENTS