UN body approves Pakistan-backed motion on religious hatred after desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden
GENEVA: The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday approved a Pakistan-led resolution on religious hatred in the wake of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden.
Major Western powers – the United States, European Union, and the United Kingdom – opposed the resolution, claiming it was against their views on human rights and freedom of expression.
While condemning the desecration of the Holy Quran, they argued the OIC initiative was designed to safeguard religious symbols rather than human rights.
An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden desecrated a copy of the Holy Quran outside a Stockholm mosque last month, sparking outrage across the Muslim world and demands by Muslim states for action.
The resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation OIC, has called for the UN rights chief to publish a report on religious hatred and for states to review their laws and plug gaps that may “impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred”.
The resolution condemns all manifestations of religious hatred, including “public and premeditated acts of desecration of the Holy Quran”, and underscores the need to hold those responsible to account.
The vote’s outcome marks a major defeat for Western countries at a time when the OIC has unprecedented clout in the council, the only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide.
Twenty-eight countries, including China, India, South Africa and Ukraine, voted in favour, 12 voted against, and seven countries abstained. Among countries other than the UK and the US, Belgium, Costa Rica, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monte Negro and Romania voted against the resolution.
Representatives of some countries clapped after the resolution passed.
Marc Limon, director of the Geneva-based Universal Rights Group, said the outcome showed “the West is in full retreat at the Human Rights Council”.
“They’re increasingly losing support and losing the argument,” he said.
Michele Taylor, the US Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council, said the United States’ concerns about the initiative “were not taken seriously”.
“I believe with a little more time and more open discussion, we could have also found a way forward together on this resolution,” she said.
After the vote, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Khalil Hashmi, accused the West of “lip service” to their commitment to prevent religious hatred.
“The opposition of a few in the room has emanated from their unwillingness to condemn the public desecration of the Holy Quran or any other religious book,” he said. “They lack political, legal and moral courage to condemn this act, and it was the minimum that the council could have expected from them.” – News Agencies
