UNITED NATIONS: Despite vehement opposition from the European Union and other western nations as well as India, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a Pakistan-led resolution on the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
According to details, the resolution, co-sponsored with the Philippines, received a majority of 90 votes, none against, with 52 abstentions. The only notable exception from the developing world was India that joined the western countries in abstaining on the resolution.
This year, the sponsors amended the resolution to reflect new trends, such as the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in religious intolerance, xenophobia, hate speech and the upsurge in the denigration of religious symbols.
It welcomes the Kartarpur initiative by Pakistan, referring to it as a landmark initiative for interreligious and intercultural cooperation for peace. Due to the efforts of Pakistan’s delegation, the resolution for the first time this year also acknowledges the significance and respect for religious symbols.
It stresses that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities, and must therefore be subjected to legitimate restrictions.
Introducing the draft, Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram referred to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s repeated calls to the international community and the United Nations to counter Islamophobia and promote respect for religious sensitivities.
Ambassador Akram also emphasised on the deliberate “vilification and negative stereotyping of adherents of one of the largest religions in the world – Islam – only perpetuates dangerous self-fulfilling prophecies such as the ‘clash of civilisations’, and must be addressed on an urgent basis”.
In his address to the 75th session of the General Assembly, the prime minister had highlighted the incidents of Islamophobia and other provocations. He also called on the United Nations to declare an “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”.
