Protect Nigerian Muslims and Others Says, UN Secretary General
By Sadiq Abdulfatah
The secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called on governments, institutions, and communities round the globe to protect Muslims from discrimination, hostility, and violence and also to increase efforts in the fight against Islamophobia, stating that the act prevents peacebuilding across the world, threatens social cohesion, and undermines humanity.
He made this call on Sunday during his address at the United Nations’ International Day to Combat Islamophobia, which is observed annually.
According to him, the two billion Muslims around the world come from different cultures, languages, and traditions, which reflects the richness and diversity of humanity, adding that the Muslim communities greatly contribute to the global development in many countries through education, commerce, science, culture, and public service, and yet they consistently face institutional discrimination, socio-economic exclusion, biased immigration policies, and unwarranted surveillance and profiling, stating that trends are fueled by anti-Muslim acts and unnecessary hate, which can lead to harassment and violence against individuals and their places of worship.
He highlighted that unverified hate speech, misinformation, and stereotypes could deepen divisions and threaten the peaceful coexistence among different religions and cultures, urging the governments to make good decisions and take serious steps to fight against hate speech and protect religious freedom in line with international human rights law, adding that policies and laws must guarantee equal rights and protection for people regardless of religion, belief, ethnicity, or background.
He also called upon the tech companies to also tighten their measures in the fight against Islamophobia, as social media stands as one of the most serious mediums used to spread harmful content and prevent harassment based on religion or belief, adding that silence in the face of hate allows prejudice to spread and undermines collective efforts to build tolerant societies.
“On this International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let us recommit to equality, human rights, and dignity for every person, regardless of faith. Let us eradicate the scourge of Islamophobia from every country and community,” Mr Antonio concluded
Source: People’s Gazette
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