New York: India on Friday (local time) abstained on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan and co-sponsored by China on Islamophobia in the United Nations General Assembly, saying the prevalence of "religiophobia" against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out only one religion.
The 193-member UNGA adopted the resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’, introduced by Pakistan on Friday, with 115 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj condemned all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia, but asserted that it was crucial to understand that such discrimination extended beyond Abrahamic religions.
“Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the emergence of contemporary forms of religiophobia, particularly anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh sentiments,” she said, in an explanation of India’s position on the resolution.
Furthermore, India stressed that the adoption of the resolution on Islamophobia should not establish a precedent that could result in numerous resolutions centred on phobias tied to specific religions, which could potentially divide the UN into "religious camps".
Other religions also facing discrimination and violence: India
Calling on member states to consider the broader scope of religious discrimination, Kamboj said, "It is crucial for the UN to maintain its stance above such religious concerns, which have the potential to fragment us rather than unite us under the banner of peace and harmony, embracing the world as one global family."
“While the issue of Islamophobia is undoubtedly significant, we must acknowledge that other religions are also facing discrimination and violence. Allocating resources solely to combat Islamophobia, while neglecting similar challenges faced by other faiths, might inadvertently perpetuate a sense of exclusion and inequality,” she added.
The Indian Ambassador to the UN highlighted that it was crucial to recognise that Hinduism, with more than 1.2 billion followers, Buddhism with over 535 million and Sikhism with over 30 million followers are all subject to religiophobia, as evident in the increasing attacks on places of worship such as gurudwaras, monasteries and temples.
“The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, violations of gurudwara premises, massacres of Sikh pilgrims in gurudwaras, attacks on temples, and the glorification of breaking idols in temples all contribute to the rise of contemporary forms of religiophobia against non-Abrahamic religions,” she said.
Kamboj underlined that India stands against all forms of religiophobia, be it antisemitism, Christianophobia, or Islamophobia, as “we stand against all anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh sentiments". Notably, the destruction of the giant Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan by the Taliban in March 2001 led to global condemnation.
India opposed to creation of a special envoy
The resolution introduced by Pakistan and supported by China condemned the incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against Muslims as manifested in the increasing number of incidents of desecration of their holy book, attacks on mosques, sites and shrines and other acts of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, hatred and violence against Muslims.
It is important to mention here that concerns over Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have intensified since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East region, where thousands of people have been killed. Pakistan's resolution also requested UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a United Nations Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.
India said it “in principle” is opposed to the creation of the post of a Special Envoy on the basis of a single religion, she said. Kamboj pointed out that the substantial budgetary implications of establishing such a position “prompt us to pause and reflect on whether this is the most effective use of resources. Could we not achieve greater impact through a more inclusive approach that addresses religious discrimination in its entirety?”
She underscored that India's rich history as a pluralistic and democratic nation, embracing diverse religions, has long served as a refuge for those persecuted for their faith. “Whether Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jews, or adherents of any other belief, they have consistently found in India a sanctuary free from persecution or discrimination,” she said.
Prior to this, India voted in favour of two amendments introduced by Belgium on behalf of the European Union, which were rejected by the Assembly. One of them proposed changes in the resolution’s language to remove references to the desecration of the Quran. The other called for the appointment of a UN focal point to combat anti-Muslim discrimination instead of a UN special envoy.
UN highlights rise in hate speech, xenophobia
The General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2022 proclaiming March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in the wake of the 2019 mass shootings in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that had killed over 50 people. Guterres said that around the world, there is a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate and bigotry in many forms such as structural and systemic discrimination, unequal immigration policies, unwarranted surveillance and profiling and restrictions in accessing citizenship, education, employment and justice.
UNGA President Dennis Francis urged the international community to repudiate racism and xenophobia in all its forms and manifestations, including Islamophobia. He further asserted that intolerance, xenophobia and hate speech are fueling the exponential rise in hate crimes, conflict and socioeconomic marginalisation.
"As President of the General Assembly, I stand firmly against racism and all forms of discrimination and call upon the entire international community and on civil society to repudiate racism and xenophobia in all its forms and manifestations, including Islamophobia," he added.
(with inputs from agencies)
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