Iran warns against growth of Islamophobia in West

Iran warns against growth of Islamophobia in West
United Nations, New York, Nov 11, IRNA-Iran on Thursday warned against growth of Islamophobia in certain countries particularly in the European ones, saying it could entail the danger of confrontation of religions and civilizations.
Iran's Representative to the UN General Assembly's third Commission, Mostafa A'laie, was addressing the Commission on the importance of fighting racialism.
"Since the 9/11 incident, a new wave of discrimination, violation of civil rights and hatred of Muslims has emerged in many of the Western communities.
"This unpleasant trend has been intensified after the 8/7 terrorist attacks in London, leading to loss of lives on certain occasions," he said.
Quoting the UN special human rights rapporteur's report on the contemporary types of racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia, Ala'ie highlighted instances of discrimination against Muslims, including attack on the meditation and cultural centers, physical attacks, verbal insults, disrespect to Muslims' cemeteries, attacks on the prayer leaders, fire on mosques, problems and resistances in certain countries, especially in the European states, against building of mosques and mediation centers for Muslims as well as expulsion of the prayers leaders from certain European states.
He added that the new wave of discrimination, which is launched under the guise of campaign against terror, has some alarming characteristics, including legalization of restrictions on the rights and freedom of people to perform religious duties.
The event would not only prevent them to contribute to the public life, but will also result in emergence, development or legalization of discrimination and in attempts by certain media and politicians to link emergence of certain anxieties such as anti-judaism in certain countries with presence of considerable number of Muslims there, said the diplomat, adding that the trend is also feared to lead to desecration of holy Quran and Islamic values, psychological pressures on the Muslim prisoners and rational legitimization of hostility against Islam and its followers.
The Iranian envoy went on to say, "Today, the evil signs of xenophobia and intolerance are not only regarded as obstacles on the way of full materialization of human rights but also introduce a serious danger for international peace and security.
"Alike Islamophobia, the signs of xenophobia include the stimulus for confrontation of cultures, civilizations and religions," Ala'ie further warned.
"As a country pioneering campaign against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the international community should replace militarism and unilateralism, which are the causes of hatred, with multilateralism and avoidance of violence.
"Iran believes that the confidence should be secured that the measures adopted in the war on terror will not lead to discrimination against Muslims, Christians, Jews and followers of other religions.
"The international community should take actions against violence on the basis of religious, cultural and ethnic beliefs, while guaranteeing the possibility for access of the victims of the (violent) moves to the effective legal means and their right of claiming fair reparation for the damages caused by the (violent) asures," concluded Ala'ie.