GENEVA: In wake of condemnable incident of desecration of Quran in Sweden, Human Rights Council is set to debate contentious draft proposal on religious hatred today. Initiative has underscored major rifts in UN body and challenged human rights protection practices.

Pakistan presented draft resolution on behalf of 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation at council, describing incident in Stockholm last month as “Offensive, disrespectful and clear act of provocation” that incites hatred and constitutes human rights violation.

Draft which condemned “Recurring acts of public burning of Holy Quran in some European and other countries” has stoked opposition from Western diplomats who argue it aims to safeguard religious symbols rather than human rights. “We don’t like text,” one Western diplomat said of draft, which will be presented to Human Rights Council in Geneva today. “Human rights are supposed to be attached to individuals, not to religions.” OIC initiative also stokes tensions between Western states and Islamic organisation at time when group has unprecedented clout in council, only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide. Nineteen OIC countries are voting members of 47-member council and other states, such as China, have aligned with their draft resolution.

It remains to be seen whether Pakistan will succeed in rallying all OIC countries behind it.   “If resolution passes, as seems likely, it will strengthen impression council is flipping and West is losing ground on key debates such as boundary between free speech and hate speech and whether religions have rights,” said Marc Limon, Director of Geneva-based Universal Rights Group. “This could make council explode in acrimony.” European Union has urged parties to reach consensus on issue. “Defamation of religions has been a difficult topic for decades within UN,” an EU diplomat said in negotiations last week.

Published in The Daily National Courier, July, 11 2023

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