UN Human Rights Council address religious hatred post-Quran desecrate.
The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is represented by Pakistan in the resolution, which calls for UN to review their legal frameworks and close any legal gaps that could “impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred.”
The European Union and the United States both fiercely opposed it, claiming that it goes against their stance on free speech and human rights. They criticized the Holy Quran being desecrated but asserted that the OIC initiative was designed to protect religious icons rather than human rights.
Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant, performed the Islamophobic crime last month outside the largest mosque in the Swedish capital, setting up a diplomatic outcry around the world.
The outcome of the vote represents a significant setback for Western nations at a time when the OIC has unparalleled influence in the council, the only organization made up of governments to defend human rights globally.
There were 28 countries that cast votes 28 for, 12 against, and 7 abstained. After the resolution was approved, some of the country representatives applauded.
The decision, according to Marc Limon, director of the Universal Rights Group in Geneva, demonstrated “the West is in full retreat at the Human Rights Council.”
According to him, “they’re losing the argument and support” consistently.
The US’s objections regarding the plan, according to Michele Taylor, the US Permanent Representative to the UNHRC, “were not taken seriously.”
She declared, “I think we could have also found a way forward on this resolution together with a little more time and more open discussion.”
Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, accused the West of paying “lip service” to its resolve to halting religious intolerance after the vote.
