Jordan hails UN’s anti-Islamophobia measures

AMMAN — Jordan on Saturday welcomed the UN General Assembly's endorsement of a resolution on "Measures to Combat Islamophobia" and the designation of a special envoy to lead the UN efforts against anti-Muslim bigotry.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah voiced the Kingdom's support for promoting the values of peace, harmony and tolerance of others, and rejection of extremism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Qudah also stressed the collective global responsibility to promote these values and to stand against intolerance, hatred, and extremism in all their forms, Petra added.

The draft resolution “Measures to Combat Islamophobia” was adopted with a recorded vote of 115 in favour, none against, and 44 abstentions. The Assembly expressed its condemnation of the incitement of discrimination, hostility, or violence against Muslims.

“This is evident in the growing number of incidents involving the desecration of their [Muslims’] holy book, attacks on mosques, sites, and shrines, and other acts of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping," hatred, and violence, UN website said.

The assembly urged member states to implement all necessary measures, including legislative and policy initiatives, to combat such hatred and violence. It also called for the prohibition of incitement to violence against individuals based on their religion or belief by law.

The resolution requested the secretary-general to appoint a United Nations Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia and to prepare and submit a report to the assembly at its seventy-ninth session on the implementation of the current resolution and the relevant measures taken by the member states and the United Nations to combat Islamophobia.