United Nations: Vote in favor of resolution on religious hatred (burning of the Quran) despite strong opposition from the European Union and the United States
(Reuters) - The UN Human Rights Council just on Wednesday approved a controversial resolution on religious hatred following the burning of a Quran in Sweden, alarming Western nations that say it challenges long-established human rights practices.
The resolution, submitted by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calls on the UN Human Rights Secretary-General to publish a report on religious hatred and on states to review their laws and close loopholes that may “hinder the prevention and prosecution of acts and incitement to religious hatred.“.
The United States and the European Union strongly opposed the move, saying it contradicted their views on human rights and freedom of expression. This action comes after an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden recently burned a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm, following a series of Quran burnings by the Danish-Swedish activist Rasmus Paludan, sparking outrage across the Muslim world and calls for action from Muslim-majority countries.
The vote represents a major defeat for Western countries at a time when the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) wields unprecedented influence on the council, the only intergovernmental body dedicated to protecting human rights worldwide, according to Reuters. Twenty-eight countries voted in favor of the resolution, 12 against, and seven abstained. Michelle Taylor, the US ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, condemned the outcome, saying that US concerns about the initiative “were not taken seriously.” She added, “I think that with more time and a more open discussion, we could also have found a way forward on this resolution.”.
