Washington: Muslim advocacy groups operating in as many as 30 countries Wednesday March 15 while observing the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”, vowed to fight unitedly Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims.
The first International Day to Combat Islamophobia was observed by the OIC – Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on March 15, 2021. The United Nations later recognised the day in a resolution passed last year, and accordingly marked the day on Friday.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) decided to mark International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15 that coincided with the day when two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand were attacked by a terrorist. The terrorist had shot dead as many as 51 Muslim worshippers.
“Islamophobia has gone global. The Christchurch shooter who murdered 51 Muslim men, women and children in New Zealand on March 15th four years ago was just one horrific example of how dangerous anti-Muslim extremism can become”, the Muslim advocacy groups said in a joint statement.
“Anti-Muslim bigotry and racism manifest across the world in different forms: hate speech, discrimination, restrictions on religious freedom, vandalism, violent crimes, arbitrary arrests, collective punishments, attacks on cultural and religious symbols, mass surveillance, unjust wars, ethnic cleansing, and even genocide. All of this is unacceptable, and all of it is interrelated”, the NGOs said.
“Those who target Muslims in one country inspire others around the world to do the same and use similar rhetoric to justify their injustices”, they said.
“Just as anti-Muslim extremists have united in their dedication to targeting Muslims, Muslims must unite in our dedication to defending each other and advancing justice for all people”, the organisations said in the joint statement.
“That’s why on the historic occasion of the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia—our Muslim community organizations are coming together across borders, continents and oceans to announce our commitment to collaborate in the struggle against anti-Muslim bigotry”, they said.
The joint declaration, the first ever issued by Muslim civic organizations around the world, was signed by Muslim organizations active in over 30 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Notable among them are Asociación Musulmana por los Derechos Humanos (AMDEH) (Spain), Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AU), Comité Justice & Libertés Pour Tous (France), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) (USA), Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations – FEMYSO (Europe), Islamophobia Studies Center (USA), Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project (USA). International Islamophobia Studies and Research Association (multiple nations), Islamophobia Studies Journal (multiple nations), The March 15 Forum - Combating Islamophobia (USA), MPower Change (USA), Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) (UK), US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) (USA), With the support of the following organizations, The Collective for Countering Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE) (Europe) and National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) (USA).
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