“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,” Antonio 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 increases 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 “shape people’s lives, undermine trust and make it clear who is considered part of society and who is not.”
We can talk about missed opportunities, prejudices or suspicious attitudes. Such phenomena, he said, are fueled—and dangerously intensified—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 increasing in the digital age: technologies that are supposed to strengthen connections between people “instead, accelerate the spread of misinformation and bias at an unprecedented rate.”
According to Guterres, the consequences of such phenomena are making themselves felt: we are talking about harassment, intimidation, vandalism, threats and attacks on people and mosques. Such actions constitute “an assault on the values that underpin peaceful and inclusive societies.”
“Countering Islamophobia is not just about protecting one religious community. This is a 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.
Hate speech
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 made under the influence of fear lead to injustice,” he said.
According to the UN chief, “governments have a clear responsibility” to take action, including at the legislative level, to combat Islamophobia, and to create security mechanisms that protect people and respect human rights, “rather than stigmatizing entire communities.”
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.
Silence fuels hatred
class=”notranslate”>__GTAG11__ “Silence in the face of hatred only allows it to spread,” the Secretary-General stressed, adding that everyone must stand up against intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination.
“As Ramadan ends, Muslims around the world reaffirm the values that underpin the UN Charter… These universal principles must guide our global response to hatred and division,” he concluded.