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regular-article-logo Friday, 22 November 2024

At UN, India abstains from vote on Pakistan-sponsored resolution on Islamophobia

Explaining the vote, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kambhoj, said: 'allocating resources solely to combat Islamophobia while neglecting similar challenges faced by other faiths might inadvertently perpetuate a sense of exclusion and inequality'

Anita Joshua New Delhi Published 17.03.24, 04:54 AM
Ruchira Kambhoj

Ruchira Kambhoj File picture

India on Friday abstained from a vote in the United Nations General Assembly on a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on measures to combat Islamophobia, averring that while New Delhi condemns all "acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia, it is crucial to acknowledge that such phobias extend beyond the Abrahamic religions".

Explaining the vote, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kambhoj, said: "Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions 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…. It is time we acknowledge the prevalence of religiophobia, rather than just single out one."

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Kambhoj warned that "allocating resources solely to combat Islamophobia while neglecting similar challenges faced by other faiths might inadvertently perpetuate a sense of exclusion and inequality".

The resolution envisages the creation of a senior UN position dedicated to combating Islamophobia and says it will require a budgetary allocation. Opposing the creation of the post, Kambhoj hoped that the resolution would not "establish a precedent that could result in numerous resolutions centred on phobias tied to specific religions, potentially dividing the UN into religious camps".

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