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United Nations:
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has known as for an finish to discrimination in opposition to non secular minorities and associated hate crimes, stating that the coronavirus pandemic was accompanied by stigma and the racist discourse.
In his message for the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, noticed on August 22, Mr Guterres mentioned, “The right to freedom of religion or belief is firmly trenched in international human rights law and is a cornerstone for inclusive, prosperous and peaceful societies.”
He added that internationally “we continue to witness deep-seated discrimination against religious minorities, attacks on people and religious sites, and hate crimes and atrocity crimes targeting populations simply because of their religion or belief.”
Noting that whereas societies have proven resilience and energy within the face of COVID-19, the pandemic has additionally been accompanied by a surge in stigma and racist discourse vilifying communities, spreading vile stereotypes and assigning blame.
“As we commemorate the victims, we must do more to address the root causes of intolerance and discrimination by promoting inclusion and respect for diversity. We must also ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable,” Mr Guterres mentioned.
The UN chief added that states have the first accountability to guard the precise to freedom of faith and perception and he has additionally made this a precedence by initiatives equivalent to a Call to Action for Human Rights, a method on hate speech and a plan of motion to safeguard non secular websites.
“This extraordinary moment calls on all of us to work together as one human family to defeat a disease and put an end to hate and discrimination,” he mentioned.
The International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief was created by a UN decision adopted in May 2019, in response to an increase of intolerance and violence primarily based on faith or perception in opposition to people, which are sometimes of a prison nature.
Launching his technique on hate speech in June 2019, Mr Guterres had mentioned that “a groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred” is being seen world wide, and famous that, in some locations, Christian communities have been additionally being systematically attacked.
The “strategy” goals to allow the UN to answer “the impact of hate speech on societies,” he had mentioned, by bringing people and teams collectively who’ve opposing views, working with conventional and social media platforms, and creating communications steerage.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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