Pakistan Calls for Global Action to Combat Islamophobia at UN
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), urged the international community to take decisive action against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, and intolerance.
Ambassador Akram’s remarks came during a UN General Assembly session marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on Friday.
“Our goal must be to foster a united and empathetic global effort to combat Islamophobia,” Akram told the 193-member assembly. The session also featured solidarity messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Philemon Yang.
“We must commit to leveraging the positive messages of peace, justice, tolerance, and compassion that Islam, and indeed all religions, offer to counter Islamophobia and all other forms of hatred and intolerance,” he added.
In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by Pakistan, designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Akram described this as a “defining moment” in recognizing the global threat posed by Islamophobia.
The day was observed as the Muslim world celebrated the holy month of Ramadan.
“Islamophobia is not confined to one region—it is resurgent in both the West and the East,” Ambassador Akram stated on behalf of the OIC.
“Islamophobia is increasingly being exploited for political gain, fueling fear, prejudice, and hatred. In some countries, Muslims are being systematically marginalized and oppressed,” he added.
Akram called on governments to ensure their policies and laws reflect a clear commitment to religious tolerance. He emphasized the need to prevent media and disinformation from being used to spread hate and urged that no law be weaponized to suppress Muslim identity or discriminate against them.
“No nation can claim to be a true democracy while systematically alienating and marginalizing its Muslim citizens,” he asserted.
Highlighting the historical consequences of religious intolerance—such as mass expulsions, inquisitions, pogroms, and genocide—Akram warned that Islamophobic attitudes, policies, and actions are following the same dangerous patterns today.
“We are witnessing political narratives that seek to exclude, disenfranchise, and demonize Muslims, even in societies that have long championed tolerance, pluralism, democracy, and human rights,” he said.
Akram pointed out that manifestations of Islamophobia include the desecration of Islamic sacred symbols and sites, defamation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), bans on religious attire like the hijab, and systemic discrimination against Muslim communities.
“In many places, prejudice against Muslims is being stoked rather than suppressed, resentments are being revived rather than reconciled, and discrimination is being legitimized through policies and rhetoric,” he added.
He cited the 2019 Christchurch massacre and the ongoing Israeli violence against Palestinians in Gaza as stark examples of Islamophobia, hatred, and racism.
Ambassador Akram thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his intention to appoint Miguel Moratinos, a senior Spanish diplomat and head of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, as his Special Envoy on Islamophobia.
“We call for the timely allocation of financial resources to enable the secretary-general and his special envoy to implement the provisions of the General Assembly resolution on combating Islamophobia,” he said.
The OIC, Akram added, looks forward to collaborating with the UN and its special envoy to develop a comprehensive plan of action to combat Islamophobia. This plan could include defining Islamophobia and its manifestations, establishing mechanisms to monitor and document acts of Islamophobia, and creating templates for national legislation to criminalize such acts.
The plan might also incorporate accountability mechanisms, as well as media and educational programs to promote tolerance and harmony.
Akram commended efforts by some Western countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, which have enacted laws to address Islamophobia, including criminalizing the desecration of the Holy Quran and ensuring freedom of expression is not misused to spread hate.
He also noted Canada’s appointment of a special representative to combat Islamophobia, the United States’ national strategy against anti-Muslim hate, and Australia’s special envoy for interfaith dialogue as positive steps toward addressing the issue.
