At UN, Pakistan warns of BJP-RSS extremists’ threats to destroy Islamic sites in India

Voicing concern that UN principles are being flouted, a top Pakistani diplomat has described as a “grave violation of international norms” the 1992 destruction of the historic Babri Mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya and the construction now underway of a Hindu Temple on its site.

Speaking in a virtual High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, Ambassador Munir Akram said that Pakistan supported the UN Plan to Safeguard Religious Sites, but warned of the threats by extremists of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliate Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to destroy hundreds of other mosques and historic Islamic religious sites across India.

“Likewise,” the Pakistani envoy added, “the conscious plan to destroy the Islamic cultural identity and change the Muslims demography of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is a serious violation of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

In the past 75 years, Ambassador Akram said that mankind had made unprecedented progress towards a world order based, not only on power, but human values.

“This world order and international peace, however, are now under grave threat. The principles of UN are being flouted with impunity. Conflicts are proliferating and intensifying,” he told delegates.

The coronavirus crisis, instead of uniting humanity, has accentuated and revealed our differences and divisions, the Pakistani envoy added.

“Intolerance, bigotry and prejudice are on the rise. Extreme right-wing populism is resurgent. Hate speech has found its way into political and social discourse. Inequality within societies, and among nations, is widening. Truth has become a victim of expediency; falsehood has become the currency of discord.”

Guided by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision, he said Pakistan has always sought to defend the principles of justice and peace.

Each year in the UN General Assembly, Pakistan– together with the Philippines – moves a resolution on the Promotion of Inter-religious and Inter-cultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace, Ambassador Akram pointed out.

“The Riyasat-e-Madinah is a unique example in history of governance based on equality, justice, tolerance and peace. It laid down the foundations for the golden age of Islam – in Arabia, Spain and South Asia – where peace was built on the values of tolerance and cooperation.”

Pakistan, he said, has constructed the world’s biggest Gurdwara in Kartarpur to facilitate Sikh pilgrims, and Prime Minister Imran Khan opened the corridor between India and Pakistan last year, a project the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres termed a “corridor of hope”.

“The international community must utilize the political will to promote the culture of peace within and among nations,” Ambassador Akram added.

Opening the event, the UN chief said while the the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend economies and societies, it also threatening to erode trust in public institutions and democracy, but people everywhere must continue to pursue peace.

“Not since the United Nations was founded have we faced such a complex and multidimensional threat to global peace and security”, Guterres said. “In the face of this grave danger, it is more important than ever to work for a culture of peace, as the essential foundation for global cooperation and action.”

The concept of a culture of peace has its genesis in an initiative put forward more than 20 years ago by Anwarul K. Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi diplomat and former senior UN official.

Ambassadors have met annually since 2012 to uphold their commitment to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus and without reservation on 13 September 1999.

Speaking at this year’s event, Chowdhury explained that a culture of peace simply means that everyone must consciously make peace and non-violence a part of their daily existence.
“We should not isolate peace as something separate or distant”, he advised. “We should know how to relate to one another without being aggressive, without being violent, without being disrespectful, without neglect, and without prejudice.”

He added that “In today’s world, more so, it should be seen as the essence of a new humanity based on inner oneness and outer diversity.”

With countries still battling COVID-19, the need for a culture of peace has never been greater, according to the current General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

The president listed some of the fallout from the pandemic, such as the disruption to education worldwide, rising domestic violence and hate speech, and an anticipated increase in extreme poverty and hunger.

“A culture of peace is more than just the absence of conflict as it embraces the inter-relationships between peace and development”, he said.

“Fostering a culture of peace means building global solidarity and cooperation much needed in these trying times.”

The UN chief laid out components for achieving a culture of peace, which he said must be centred on human rights, and on ending injustice and discrimination, whether based on gender, ethnic origin, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

“Throughout the pandemic and beyond, we need to invest in social cohesion, recognizing that diversity is a richness, not a threat. Each community must feel that its identity is respected, while playing a full part in society as a whole,” he stated.

Guterres called for “a new generation of social protection” anchored by Universal Health Care and the possibility of a universal basic income. He also stressed the importance of access to quality education, which he labelled “one of the great enablers of progress” and crucial for nurturing new generations in understanding shared histories.”