Phobia related to religion or faith goes beyond Abrahamic religions, India said at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, made the statement as she explained India’s position regarding the draft resolution on “Measures to combat Islamophobia”.
In Short
- India addressed religious phobia at UN General Assembly
- Upholds equal protection of all religions
- Says rising intolerance against various religions is concerning
India abstained from voting on the resolution as the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the same resolution tabled by Pakistan. The UN also declared March 15 as the International Day to combat Islamophobia. The resolution was adopted following attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019, which caused the deaths of 51 people.
In the 193-member General Assembly, as many as 115 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while none voted against it. India, Brazil, Ukraine, France, the UK, Germany, and Italy were among 44 nations that abstained from voting.
Addressing the 61st plenary session at the UN General Assembly, Ruchira Kamboj said that the modern world is consistently witnessing escalating geopolitical tension and unequal developments that are giving rise to “intolerance, discrimination and violence” based on people’s religion or belief.
India is a proud champion of pluralism and firmly upholds the principle of equal protection and promotion of all religions and faiths. Our rich history as a pluralistic and democratic nation in embracing diverse religions has long served a refuge for those persecuted for their faith…This principle isn’t merely a facet of our culture, it is enshrined within the Constitution of India,” Ruchira Kamboj said at the UN.
She said that the growing intolerance, discrimination, and violence against followers of various religions is, therefore, concerning in the present day. “We condemn all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia,” Kamboj added.
“Clear evidence shows over decades that followers of non-Abrahamic religion have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the emergence of contemporary forms of religiophobia, particularly anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh elements. These contemporary forms of religiophobia are evident in the increasing attacks on religious places such as Gurudwaras, monasteries and temples as well as the spreading of hatred and disinformation against non-Abrahamic religions in many countries,” India Permanent Representative to the UN said.
To back up her statement, she gave examples of incidents of destruction of gurudwaras, attacks on Sikh pilgrims, and glorifying the damage to deities at temples, among others.
It is crucial to recognize that Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are all subject to religious phobia. It is time to acknowledge the prevalence of religious phobia rather than just single out one individual. While Islamophobia is undoubtedly important, it is important to recognize that other religions are also experiencing discrimination and violence. Allocating resources solely to combat Islamophobia while neglecting similar challenges faced by other faiths might inadvertently perpetuate a sense of exclusion and inequality, said Ruchira Kamboj.