United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated on Friday that there has been an "alarming rise in intolerance against Muslims" around the world, urging online platforms to curb hate speech and harassment.
اضافة اعلان
Guterres' statement came ahead of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Human rights organizations globally, as well as the United Nations, have observed an increase in Islamophobia, anti-Arab prejudice, and anti-Semitism since the start of Israel's devastating military attack on Gaza, following the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on towns in southern occupied territories.
Guterres, without specifying any particular country or government, said, "We are witnessing an alarming rise in intolerance against Muslims. From racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship."
He added, "Online platforms must limit hate speech and harassment. We all must raise our voices against intolerance, xenophobia, and discrimination."
Human rights defenders have raised concerns for years about the stigma faced by Muslims and Arabs.
Currently, many Palestinian rights activists, including in Western countries such as the United States, have complained that their defense of Palestinian rights is wrongly classified by critics as support for Hamas.
In recent weeks, human rights monitoring bodies have released reports indicating record levels of hate incidents and hate speech against Muslims in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and others. Governments in these countries continue to express their commitment to combating all forms of discrimination. (Reuters)
