Africa-Press – Kenya. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged nations worldwide to improve their efforts in eradicating anti-muslim hate. Guterres in a statement on Wednesday, which is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, issued a rallying call to people to weed out any hatred they may harbor against Muslim people.
“The world’s nearly 2 billion Muslims reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity. But they often face bigotry and prejudice for no other reason than their faith,” the statement read.
“Beyond structural, institutional discrimination and the wholesale stigmatisation of Muslim communities, Muslims suffer personal attacks, hateful rhetoric and scapegoating.”
He noted that sadly, the world has witnessed some of the worst impacts in the triple discrimination against Muslim women just because of their gender, ethnicity and faith.
“The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development: it 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,” the statement reads.
The SG highlighted the role the collective world needs to take to stand up against the vice which he believes is an active form of discrimination that diminishes us all.
“We must strengthen our defenses by pushing for policies that fully respect human rights and protect religious and cultural identities. We must recognise diversity as a richness and ramp up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion,” the statement reads.
“And we must confront bigotry by working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet.” Guterres lauded Islam’s message of peace, compassion and grace which for more than a millennium has inspired countless people all over the world.
“Every great faith and tradition summons the imperatives of tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding. At the heart, we are dealing with universal values: they animate the United Nations Charter and lie at the core of our quest for justice, human rights, and peace,” the statement read.
Today and every day, let us strive to realize these values and counter the forces of division by reaffirming our common humanity.” On March 15, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 Member-States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which designated March 15, as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
