UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for action to stop anti-Muslim hatred on the occasion of International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The world’s nearly two billion Muslims reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity. But they often face bigotry and prejudice due to their faith, Guterres said in a message for the International Day, which falls on March 15.
He stressed that Muslims suffer personal attacks, hateful rhetoric and scapegoating.
He added that growing anti-Muslim sentiment is part of the resurgence of ethnonationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies and violence targeting vulnerable populations, including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others.
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“Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it,” Guterres said.
“We must push for policies that fully respect human rights and protect religious and cultural identities,” he added.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the US would continue to work with the international community to eliminate Islamophobia.
“Muslims worldwide too often face discrimination and hatred based on their religious beliefs,” he said in his message of the day.
Muslims in Germany call for determined stance
Germany’s Muslim community have called for a more determined stance against anti-Islam racism.
“The anniversary of Christchurch mosque attacks painfully reminds us that stirring up prejudices and hatred against Muslims do not stop at words, but they can be carried into action,” the president of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We have to take a much more determined stand against Islamophobia in our society, even if it is sometimes hypocritically portrayed as the criticism of Islam,” Aiman Mazyek said.
