GENEVA, April 12: The United Nations Commission on Human Rights called on Tuesday for combating defamation of religions, especially Islam, and condemned discrimination against Muslims in the West’s ‘war on terrorism’. The 53-member state forum adopted a resolution, presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), deploring the intensification of a ‘campaign of defamation’ against Muslims following the Sept 11 attacks in the United States.

Western countries, including the United States and European Union (EU), voted against the text, calling it unbalanced for failing to address problems suffered by other religious groups.

The OIC resolution was adopted by a vote of 31 countries in favour and 16 against, with five abstentions and one delegation absent, Indonesia’s ambassador Makarim Wibisono, who chairs the annual six-week session, announced after the public vote.

“Stereotyping of any religion as propagating violence or its association with terrorism constitutes defamation of religion. It unfortunately breeds a culture of hatred, disharmony and discrimination,” Pakistan’s envoy, Masood Khan, said in a speech on behalf of the OIC.

There was “a growing trend of defamation of Islam and discrimination faced by Muslims and the people of Arab descent in many parts of the world”, he said.—Reuters