Thread by @thearthindia

India has called on the UN to take a direct stand against #Hinduphobia and violent bigotry targeting #Sikhism and #Buddhism.

Ashish Sharm, the First Secy to India’s UN Mission spoke on the matter on Wednesday.

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“We fully agree that anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia and anti-Christian acts need to be condemned and India firmly condemns such acts,” Sharma said while referring to the draft resolution on the “Freedom of Religion or Belief”.

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He observed that “UN resolutions on such important issues speak only of these three Abrahamic religions."

“The shattering of the iconic Bamyan Buddha by fundamentalists, the terrorist bombing of the Sikh gurudwara in Afghanistan where 25 Sikh worshipers were killed and...

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the destruction of Hindu and Buddhist temples and minority cleansing of these religions by countries, calls for condemning such acts against these religions also.

“The UN is not a body which should take sides when it comes to religion,” he added, “Why this selectivity?”

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The draft resolution said that the General Assembly “recognises with deep concern the overall rise in instances of discrimination, intolerance and violence” and specifies only “cases motivated by Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Christianophobia”.

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It also includes a phrase referring to only “prejudices” against “persons of other religions or beliefs” giving the impression that members of non-Abrahamic religions do not face intolerance or violence.

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Similar resolutions have been adopted at least since 2006 mentioning only the three religions, although some earlier ones had added references to Arabs, indigenous people, and people of Asian and African descent.

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“Culture of peace cannot be only for Abrahamic religions. And as long as such selectivity exists, the world can never truly foster a culture of peace,” Sharma said.

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