The United Nations on Tuesday adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by Pakistan, against hate speech and Islamophobia. The resolution has been named as “promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”. The resolution, calling on the international community to counter hate speech in all its forms and dimensions, was adopted by consensus at the UN with 44 nations in favour, 62 against and 24 absent.
“It also recognises with deep concern the overall rise in instances of discrimination, intolerance and violence, regardless of the actors, including cases motivated by Islamophobia in PP18, a proposal put forward by Pakistan, later joined by Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia,” a statement by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan Mission to the UN read.
Pakistan, it added, also led efforts along with Malaysia and Egypt on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries to include language in the text, by the terms of which the Assembly strongly deplored 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, places of worship, religious sites and shrines in violation of international law, making the first resolution adopted by the General Assembly to strongly deplore all acts of violence against religious symbols and Holy books.
