This year the UN went further in acceding to the demand to appoint a ‘special envoy’ to initiate specific actions to combat Islamophobia. This demand had come from Pakistan again. This was also opposed by many countries. Indian envoy T.S. Tirumurthi while opposing the resolution had stated, “…there was a global rise in sectarian violence, anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, anti-Hindu, Anti Buddhist and anti-Sikh examples abound as well” As per him there is abundance of phobias…” We already know the UN has declared November 16 as the “day of Tolerance” and also highlighted pluralism so another day to combat Islamophobia is unwarranted.

Where does the truth lie? Is there any difference between phobias against other religions and Islamophobia? It is true that at places people of other religions have faced the phobias in many parts of the World. Talking of South Asia we have seen the persecution of Hindus (Tamils) in Sri Lanka and Pakistan in particular. We have also seen the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. Currently in Taliban ruled Afghanistan Sikhs are facing the worst.

So how is Islamophobia different for which the UN has named March 15 as a day against Islamophobia and appointed a special envoy for the same? Unfortunately current global politics is heavily dominated by identity related issues. Many an ethnic issues like persecution of LTTE has dominated Sri Lankan politics. In India even before global Islamophobia was brought in Muslims were already faced with various types of intimidations and hate, leading to acts of violence against them, so how is Islamophobia different and more intimidating.

Islamophobia, in contrast to other sectarian insanities of persecution and violence was gradually built up from the 1970s when Ayatollah Khomeini took over Iran in the aftermath of the overthrow of US stooge Raza Shah Pahlavi. The US at that time propagated ‘Islam as the new threat’. Why New threat? Till that time US media was projecting Communism as the threat to the free world. The Free World stood for the US dominated World. The US was facing a stiff challenge to its political and economic hegemony from the Socialist Block led by Russia (USSR). The ‘global social common sense’ was perceiving communism as the threat. This was the idea (propagated by the most powerful Country) ruling broad sections of society, proving the adage, ‘ruling ideas are the ideas of ruling class’ (Karl Marx).

With gradual decline of Socialist Russia and its total collapse in early 1990s, the global dominating force needed another demon to fight with. This was also the time when the US was promoting the Madarsas in its stooge country, Pakistan. As per Mahmud Mamdani’s book (Good Muslim Bad Muslim), quoting CIA documents, US not only designed the curriculum of these Madarsas, using a narrow (Wahabi) version of Islam; it also invested 8000 million dollars to support the training of these Mujahideen which gave rise to Taliban and later Al Qaeda. The US equipped them with 7000 tons of armaments including stringer missiles. One small clip by Hillary Clinton says it all, she states that the US needed to fight Russian Communists, they propped up the Taliban and having achieved the exit of Russians, the US washed its hands off.

The US aimed to control the oil wealth of West Asia. Its policies were directed in that direction. The ‘World Trade Centre Attack’ (9/11, 2001) killing nearly 3000 innocent people belonging to most religions and most countries died in this. This was a pretext enough for the US to launch an attack on Afghanistan, in which 60000 people lost their lives. And next to this the attack on Iraq, on the pretext of ‘Weapons of Mass destruction’, which in any way were not to be found after capture of Iraq.

The attack on WTC, claimed to be done by Osama bin Laden and Arab elements, led to the most dangerous construct by US media, ‘Islamic Terrorism’. As the US media is as dominating as its political, economic and military might, this phrase spread all over the World like wildfire. And this is what led to the Global phenomenon of Islamophobia. This ran parallel to one time popular thesis of ‘Clash of Civilization’ by Samuel Huntington. The thesis concluded that this is the era where clash of civilizations will dominate the globe and backward Islamic civilization is out to attack the advanced Western Civilization.

It was this which led to the Murder of a Sikh, mistaken identity, in the US. A US pastor to burn Koran. And this peaked with a film, ‘Innocence of Muslims’ by an American Christian, Nakoula Basseley. Its 14 minute clip was made viral all over the World. This clip showed a mob of bearded modern Muslims attacking the Christians. We also remember the Danish Cartoons, which showed Prophet Mohammad with a bomb in his turban. The impact of all this is not restricted to one part of the globe, nor has Islamophobia disappeared.

The UN did its best to counter the ‘Clash of Civilizations’ thesis. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had set up a high level committee to examine the clash theory. This high level committee of the UN, which also had an Indian representative, came out with a remarkable report, ‘Alliance if Civilizations’. This put forward the understanding that all human progress has taken place through alliance of different civilizations, cultures and religions. True to the dynamics of the World, dominated by American interests, it was practically ignored by the media, and Islamophobia continued.

In India the problem is the worst confounded as already the communal politics had created hate among different communities. The global Islamophobia as an add on the prevailing Hate against Muslims. During the freedom movement Muslim communalists spread hate against Hindus and Hindu Communalists (Hindu Mahasabha and RSS) spread hate against Muslims. After Independence the Muslims communalists got deflated and Hindu communalists have gone from strength to strength, leading to Islamophobia at multiple levels.

The UN move is a welcome step in bringing peace to the hate and violence torn World today.

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Int’l Day to Combat Islamophobia: UN Chief’s Remarks | United Nations

Anti-Islamophobia day

The post A Sane Resolution: UN out to Combat Islamophobia appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The United Nations (UN) marked the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims. The date was chosen as it is the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings, in which 51 people were killed in New Zealand.

This observation on Friday follows the unanimous adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution in 2022 that proclaimed March 15 as such an international day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity, the UN stated in its press release.

Addressing this issue, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide, who come from all corners of the world, “reflect humanity in all its majestic diversity”. Yet, they often face bigotry and prejudice simply because of their faith. Moreover, Muslim women might face “triple discrimination” because of their gender, ethnicity, and faith.

Besides, he said, the growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development, the UN chief stressed. “It is an inexorable part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others,” he said.

“Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it. We must never be bystanders to bigotry.” Stressing that “we must strengthen our defenses,” Guterres highlighted UN measures such as a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites.

Curb online bigotry 

Towards this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media “to set up guardrails, and enforce them.” Some other policies already launched include a Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, and the Our Common Agenda report, which outlines a framework for a more inclusive and secure “digital future” for all people.

“And we must confront bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. This includes working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet,” he added. 

To this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media “to set up guardrails, and enforce them.”  He also called for ramping up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion.

Compassion and solidarity 

Other policies already launched include a Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, and the Our Common Agenda report, which outlines a framework for a more inclusive and secure “digital future” for all people. 

The Secretary-General also expressed gratitude to religious leaders across the world who have united to promote dialogue and interfaith harmony. 

He described the 2019 declaration on ‘Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ – co-authored by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb – as “a model for compassion and human solidarity.

The UN chief also expressed gratitude to religious leaders across the world who have united to promote dialogue and interfaith harmony. The high-level event was co-convened by Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underlined that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and pluralism. Despite Islamophobia not being new, he described it as a “sad reality of our times.”

“Since the tragedy of 9/11, animosity and institutional suspicion of Muslims and Islam across the world have only escalated to epidemic proportions. A narrative has been developed and peddled which associates Muslim communities and their religion with violence and danger,” said Zardari, who is also chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers.

“This Islamophobic narrative is not just confined to extremist, marginal propaganda, but regrettably has found acceptance by sections of mainstream media, academia, policymakers and state machinery,” he added.

Csaba Korosi, president of the UN General Assembly, pointed out that Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which manifests in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying, and other forms of abuse. He urged countries to uphold freedom of religion or belief, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief – or the lack of them,” he added. Korosi also said education is crucial to understanding why these phobias exist and can transform how people perceive each other.

Formally, on March 15, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus which was introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that proclaimed March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.”

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The post Anti-Islamophobia day appeared first on SabrangIndia.