According to Emirates News Agency, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently stated in New York that the message of peace, compassion, and grace found in Islam has inspired people all over the world for millennia.
In his statement for the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Guterres urged people to take action against anti-Muslim hatred. He pointed out that the nearly two billion Muslims around the world face regular bigotry because of their religion.
The United Nations’ top official also highlighted the fact that Muslim women face discrimination on the basis of their gender, race, and religion. The increasing hostility toward Muslims, Jews, and other minorities of Christians, he said, is part of a larger trend toward ethnonationalism and neo-Nazi white supremacist ideology and violence.
He emphasized that it is everyone’s duty to combat discrimination because it brings down everyone.
In order to fortify safeguards against discrimination, Guterres advocated for policies that fully respect human rights and protect religious and cultural identities. As a means of combating bigotry, he called for increased funding of social cohesion and the acknowledgement of diversity as a source of wealth.
The UN secretary-general reaffirmed that these values of tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding are shared by all major faiths and traditions. Not just on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, but every day, he urged people to stand up to the forces of division by reaffirming their common humanity.
