Phobia beyond Abrahamic faiths: India as UN adopts resolution on Islamophobia

Phobia pertaining to religion or faith goes beyond the Abrahamic religions, India said at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday.

India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, made the statement while explaining India’s position during the adoption of the resolution on ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’.

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 as a proud champion of pluralism firmly upholds the principle of equal protection and promotion of all religions & all 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 religio phobia. This has led to emergence of contemporary forms of religious phobia, particularly anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh elements.

These contemporary forms of religion phobia 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 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 recognise that Hinduism…Buddhism… and Sikhism…are all subject to religiophobia. It is time to acknowledge the prevalance of religiophobia rather than just single out one… While the issue of Islamophobia is undoubtedly significant, we must acknowledge.

That other religions are also facing 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,” Ruchira Kamboj said.

The UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution tabled by Pakistan, and proclaimed March 15 as the International Day to combat Islamophobia. The resolution was adopted following attacks on two mosques in New Zealand’s Christchurch in 2019 that caused the deaths of 51 people.