Author: Aslı Türkmen
Date of Publication: 03/04/2023
Unfortunately, Muslims often face bigotry and prejudice just because of their religion. This Islamophobia manifests itself in many different ways. Islam is a religion of peace, it calls all humanity to be brothers without creating any discrimination or intolerance.
What happened and what was discussed at the ceremony
Under the leadership of the UN General Assembly, a special event was held at the UN within the scope of ‘’15 March World Day Against Islamophobia’’. The draft submitted by Turkey and Pakistan was accepted at the UN General Assembly.
Resolution Acceptance
The resolution referred to international efforts to develop universal communication based on respect for human rights and different religions and beliefs. In addition, all acts of violence against individuals and all places of worship because of their religious beliefs were condemned.
Zardari's Address
In his opening speech, Zardari said, ‘’We see the spread of anti-Islamism. Exclusionary statements of neo-Nazi parties, hijab politics, provocative actions against the Qur’an, attacks on Islamic symbols and holy places are examples of this.’’
In order to tackle Islamophobia, Zardari urged the UN Secretary General to develop an action plan. Zardari said that international action is crucial to defend the holy places. What’s more, a special envoy could be selected to combat Islamophobia as part of the action plan. So, issues such as compensation to Islamophobic crime victims could be a topic of discussion.
Guterreshe's Perspective
Last, according to Guterreshe, we should address the structural Islamophobia, personal attacks and hate speech. It’s true that Muslims experience things that violate human dignity all the time.
How did Islamophobia come about?
The conflict between these two groups (Christians and Muslims), emerged in different ways at different times. In fact, these originally constituted the largest religious groups in the world.
These conflicts became Islamophobia, which occupied the world agenda. Although Islamophobia is based on a group’s phobia of another group, there is still a great distrust among societies. So, overcoming this distrust and hostility requires the mutual responsibility and sacrifice of all societies.
Therefore, Islamophobia is a problem that Muslims should watch carefully and try to solve. This is because it targets Muslims in terms of its consequences.
How to fight Islamophobia
As a result, institutionalization steps should be taken in the fight against Islamophobia. Effective representation and diplomacy should be made before international organizations such as the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union. So, in this context, the opportunities of parliamentary diplomacy should be used intensively.
Communication, cooperation and solidarity between Turks and Muslims should be strengthened. Projects of universities, think tanks and research centers to combat Islamophobia should be supported. Legal struggle should be continued for the recognition of Islamophobia as racism, hate speech and hate crime.
Understanding day against Islamophobia
It should not be forgotten that we were all created from dust, and we all have the same destination. We are only human, none of us is superior to another, it is the most fundamental right of all nations to live this life with human dignity. The more we listen and try to understand each other, the more we can achieve peace. It is only in our hands to make the world a livable place.
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