“Countering Islamophobia is not just about protecting one religious community. It’s about protecting our common humanity.” UN Secretary General calls for countering ‘growing wave of hatred against Muslims’ Human rights
The UN secretary-general on Monday called on countries to “work together” to stamp out the rising tide of hatred against Muslims. António Guterres stressed the need to reject “narratives of fear and exclusion.”
Amid ongoing conflict and instability, “millions of Muslims around the world feel this pain,” António Guterres said at an event marking the International Day against Islamophobia. “Let us recommit ourselves to equality, human rights and the dignity of every person – everywhere,” he said.
The Secretary-General warned that many Muslims living in countries where they are a minority face various forms of institutional discrimination, socio-economic marginalization and unwarranted surveillance in their daily lives.
Bias widens division
Guterres called on governments to take responsibility and take measures that “ensure equality rather than perpetuate prejudice.” He also warned of “hidden forms of bias” that rarely make headlines but nonetheless “affect people’s lives, undermine trust and make it clear who is included and who is not.”
This can involve missed opportunities, prejudice or suspicious attitudes. Such phenomena, he says, are fueled—and dangerously amplified—by anti-Muslim rhetoric, disinformation, and outright hatred.
Increasing prejudice in the digital age
Speaking at the same event in New York, General Assembly President Annalena Burbock noted that such biases are intensifying in the digital age: technologies that are designed to strengthen connections between people “are, on the contrary, accelerating the spread of misinformation and bias at an unprecedented rate.” vandalism, threats and attacks on people and mosques. Such actions constitute “an attack on the values that underpin peaceful and inclusive societies.”
“Confronting Islamophobia is not just about defending one religious community. This is the defense of our common humanity,” Burbock emphasized.
She called on governments, international organizations, technology companies and civil society to follow the example of the UN and actively combat stereotypes while disseminating only verified information.
Language enmity
The UN Secretary General noted that when discrimination “is supported by people in positions of power, prejudice becomes the norm.”
“When stereotypes are not challenged, they turn into appropriate policies. And decisions driven by fear lead to injustice,” he said.
Governments have a clear responsibility, the UN chief said, “to take action, including through legislation, to combat Islamophobia, and to create security mechanisms that protect people and respect human rights, “rather than stigmatizing entire communities.” community.”
António Guterres also emphasized the responsibility that technology companies bear. “The online space should bring people together, not divide them,” said the Secretary-General, adding that platforms must do much more to identify, prevent and suppress hate speech. “The face of hatred only allows it to spread,” the Secretary-General stressed, adding that everyone must stand up against intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination.