The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recently passed a resolution to mark March 15th as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. This significant move, instigated by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has been met with both acceptance and concerns across various nations globally, including India.
Key Points of the Resolution
The resolution, having the consensus of the entire 193-member world body and backed by 55 primarily Muslim countries, calls for nationwide as well as global support from diverse sectors. These sectors include U.N bodies, civil society, international and regional organisations, faith-based organisations, and the private sector.
Their primary task? To organise and sponsor high-visibility events aimed at effectively amplifying awareness about curbing Islamophobia across all levels. In addition, the resolution accentuates the right to freedom of religion and belief. It draws attention to a previous resolution in 1981 that advocated for “the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief”.
India’s Stand on the Resolution
India voiced its concern over the rise of phobia against one religion to an international day’s level. It highlighted the mushrooming contemporary forms of religiophobia, notably anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh phobias. Interestingly, the term ‘pluralism’ does not appear in this resolution, which India cites as a significant miss.
India aspires that the adopted resolution “does not set a precedent” for future resolutions on phobias based on selective religions. Such a scenario, it forewarns, could divide the United Nations into religious camps. It also points to the lack of an internationally agreed definition for the term Islamophobia, which stands in contrast to the freedom of religion or belief.
International Day Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
In 2019, the UNGA had passed another resolution to celebrate August 22nd as International Day Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. This resolution aims at recognising the importance of providing appropriate support and assistance, in accordance with applicable law, to victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief and their families.
Considerations Regarding International Mother Language Day
In a previous year question (PYQ), it was asked whether the statement “21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF” was correct. Another statement that “The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan” was also put forth for validation. Among these, only the second statement was found to be correct (Option b).
The UN’s move to establish an international day to address phobias against specific religions raises several questions. It remains to be seen how this will be interpreted by member countries and how it impacts global efforts to promote religious tolerance and harmony.
Last Modified: February 15, 2024