GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council voted on Wednesday to condemn recent Holy Quran desecration incidents, an outcome that marks a major defeat for Western countries at a time when the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has unprecedented clout in the UN’s top rights body.

The resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation OIC, calls for the UN rights chief to publish a report on religious hatred and for states to review their laws and plug gaps that may “impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred”.

Pakistan and other OIC countries brought forward a debate and resolution after an Iraqi refugee in Sweden burnt pages from the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque last month. The incident triggered a diplomatic backlash across the Muslim world.

The UN’s council, the only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide, backed the OIC resolution on countering religious hatred by 28 votes in favour, with 12 against and seven abstentions.

Pakistan-moved resolution opposed by US, Britain, EU

Britain, the US, European Union countries including France and Germany, plus Costa Rica and Montenegro, were among those that voted against the resolution.

‘Lack of courage’

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Khalil Hashmi, said the resolution was not looking to curtail free speech but had been aimed at striking a prudent balance.

Speaking for the OIC, he said: “Regrettably, some states have chosen to abdicate their responsibility to prevent and counter the scourge of religious hatred.

“A message has been sent to billions of people of faith across the world that their commitment to preventing religious hatred is merely lip service.

“The opposition of a few in the room has emanated from their unwillingness to condemn the public desecration of the Holy Quran.

“They lack political, legal and moral courage.”

The wording of the resolution condemns all manifestations of religious hatred, including “public and premeditated acts of desecration of the Holy Quran”, and underscores the need to hold those responsible to account.

It urges states to adopt laws to “address, prevent and prosecute acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”.

It also wants the UN rights chief Volker Turk to identify gaps in countries’ laws in light of the resolution.

China’s concerns for Islamophobia

Argentina, China, Cuba, India, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam backed the resolution.

“Islamophobia is on the rise. Incidents involving desecrating the Holy Quran have happened again and again in some countries,” China’s ambassador Chen Xu said.

“These countries have done nothing to implement their professed respect for the protection of freedom of religious belief.”

West in ‘full retreat’

Meanwhile, the United States and the European Union said the resolution conflicted with their view on human rights and freedom of expression. While condemning the desecration of the Holy Quran, they argued the OIC initiative was designed to safeguard religious symbols rather than human rights.

Countries from Europe and the Americas also insisted that a bit more work could have resulted in a stronger, unanimous decision.

US Ambassador Michele Taylor said that with more time and discussion, a consensus could have been reached.

“Unfortunately, our concerns were not taken seriously,” she said. Marc Limon, director of the Geneva-based Universal Rights Group, said the outcome showed “the West is in full retreat at the Human Rights Council”. “They are increasingly losing support and losing the argument,” he said.

Abstentions

Benin, Chile, Mexico, Nepal and Paraguay were among the abstentions.

Mexico’s ambassador Francisca Mendez Escobar said: “Not all criticism of religion amounts in and of itself to an incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”

Paraguay’s ambassador Marcelo Scappini Ricciardi said that a resolution that all countries could back was “clearly possible”. “If we cannot agree on such an essential topic, that does not show us in a good light,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023