France, EU, India object to International Day to Combat Islamophobia – Middle East Monitor

France, the European Union (EU) and India have objected to the choice to declare 15 March the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia, adopted by the United Nations (UN) Basic Meeting.

On Tuesday, members of the Basic Meeting adopted a decision proposed by Pakistan to mark 15 March, the anniversary of the 2019 assault on two mosques in New Zealand that left 51 Muslims useless, as Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia.

Fifty-five Muslim-majority nations supported the decision within the Riyadh-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), together with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, Algeria, Morocco and plenty of different nations within the Gulf and North Africa.

Britain’s Center East Eye said: “Representatives from France and India, which have additionally confronted accusations of Islamophobia by their very own Muslim communities, each spoke in opposition to the decision, although neither opposed its adoption by consensus.”

Nicolas de Rivière, everlasting consultant of France to the UN, described the decision as “unsatisfactory” and “problematic”, telling the UN Basic Meeting that his nation helps the safety of all religions and beliefs.

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The French official added: “The time period Islamophobia has no agreed-upon definition in worldwide regulation, in contrast to the liberty of faith or conviction. But it surely’s this liberty that France defends, in addition to all the opposite public freedoms, comparable to the liberty of expression or conviction,” in line with Center East Eye.

The EU, a bloc of 27 European nations with everlasting observer standing on the UN, echoed de Riviere’s considerations, however didn’t have the suitable to vote.

In a press release to the Basic Meeting, the EU expressed its concern in regards to the multitude of worldwide days and mentioned the concentrate on Islamophobia was an “pointless repetition” after in 2019 the UN adopted 22 August because the Worldwide Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Primarily based on Faith or Perception.

“We’re involved with the strategy of addressing just one faith by means of a Basic Meeting initiative,” the EU’s assertion expressed.

On this regard, Center East Eye reported that Rayan Freschi, a researcher for Cage, a human rights group selling Muslim communities affected by counter-terrorism insurance policies, mentioned that France’s protest to the UN decision got here as “no shock”.

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In a speech to the UN Basic Meeting, Everlasting Consultant of India T.S. Tirumurti additionally known as for condemnation of “non secular phobia” quite than singling out Islamophobia, referring to discrimination in opposition to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.

Welcoming the decision issued on Wednesday, Secretary-Basic of the OIC Hussein Ibrahim Taha shared his view that the decision: “Will strengthen international consciousness of the specter of hatred and intolerance in opposition to Muslims.”

On 15 March, 2019, the New Zealand metropolis of Christchurch witnessed a horrific bloodbath, with an armed assault on worshippers at Al-Noor and Linwood mosques.

In line with official figures, the bloodbath, which the perpetrator streamed stay on his Fb web page, resulted within the murders of 51 folks and the accidents of 49 others.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, a white supremacist, was charged with homicide and sentenced final August to life imprisonment.

Islamophobia in France: MEMO in dialog with Rayan Freschi