The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday passed a resolution condemning Islamophobic behaviour, including Switzerland’s minaret building ban, despite some states’ major reservations.
The resolution “strongly condemns… the ban on the construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures.” These measures “are manifestations of Islamophobia that stand in sharp contradiction to international human rights obligations concerning freedoms of religions,” said the resolution.
Such acts would “fuel discrimination, extremism and misperception leading to polarization and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences,” it said.
Some 20 countries voted in favour of the resolution entitled “combating defamation of religions”, 17 voted against and eight abstained.
The resolution also “expresses deep concern … that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism.” It “regrets the laws or administrative measures specifically designed to control and monitor Muslim minorities, thereby stigmatising them and legitimising the discrimination they experience.”