India on Friday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation requesting the Secretary-General to appoint a United Nations Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia. Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK also abstained from voting while none voted against it.
India’s Ruchira Kamboj asserted that the prevalence of “religiophobia” against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out just one religion.
Kamboj voiced condemnation of all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia but asserted that it is crucial to acknowledge that such phobias extend beyond Abrahamic religions.
The General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for measures against such a phenomenon despite reservations expressed by some Member States about the text’s narrow focus on one religion and the cost of creating a senior United Nations position dedicated to the matter.
Appointing a Special Envoy is “without a doubt, money well spent”, declared the delegate of Kuwait. The representatives of Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Uganda and Türkiye, all rallied behind the resolution.
“Islamophobia is as old as Islam itself,” said the representative of Pakistan, who introduced on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He noted that Islamophobia was manifested by the racist colonization and brutalization of much of the Islamic world in the past few centuries and resurged after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks.
The most egregious current manifestation of such sentiment is Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza, he warned, stressing the need for bold and decisive actions against such phenomenon.
India slams Pakistan’s references to Ayodhya, CAA
India also slammed Pakistan and described it as a “broken record”, after Islamabad’s envoy made references to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during remarks to the General Assembly.
Kamboj said it is “unfortunate indeed to witness this delegation’s limited and misguided perspective on matters relating to my country, the more so, when the General Assembly considers a matter that demands wisdom, depth, and a global outlook from the entire membership – perhaps not the forte of this delegation.”
