The head of human rights of the United Nations, pleaded, Tuesday July 11 in Geneva,
for the respect of others and their beliefs, following the burning of a few pages of a Koran which took place on June 28 in front of a Mosque in Stockholm, Sweden.
Volker Türk spoke during a debate organized by the Human Rights Council, at the request of Pakistan, in response to this act strongly condemned especially in the Muslim world.
According to the UN news site, the High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council, pointed out, in front of the Council, that the perpetrators of the act probably wanted to “express contempt and stir up anger” by burning this holy book which is the “heart of faith” for over a billion Muslims, given this type of behavior sows “discord among people” and turns differences into hatred.
While condemning hate speech against and by people of all dominant and minority faiths, and advocating the benefits of diversity for all societies, the UN official stressed that dialogue to ensure respect for differences of opinion and of religions is essential.
The right to believe or not to believe “is fundamental to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, he also noted, inviting political leaders and leading religious figures, who have a “particular role crucial to play”, to speak out clearly against disrespect and intolerance.
Let us recall that Swedish diplomacy had to condemn an “Islamophobic” act which “does not in any way reflect the views of the Swedish government”, while specifying that freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration is a “constitutionally protected’ in Sweden.
The High Commissioner, for his part, argued that restrictions on free speech of any degree must remain “as a fundamental principle” an exception, especially since laws restricting speech are ” often misused” by authoritarian governments.
According to him, it is up to the national courts to decide each case in a manner “consistent with the safeguards provided by international humanitarian law”.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1247 of 12/07/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
