Pakistan urges UN to counter Islamophobia that threatens Muslims' rights.

Pakistan has called on the United Nations to take steps to counter the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia which has emerged as a new form of racism, characterized by hate speech, discrimination and violence against Muslims.

"Islamophobia is a reality," Pakistani delegate Mariam Shaikh told the Committee on Information, a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly, on Wednesday.

Ms. Shaikh, who is the press counselor at Pakistan Mission to UN, pointed out that Islamophobia's manifestations -- hate speech, discrimination, and violence against Muslims -- are proliferating in several parts of the world, constituting "grave violations" of Muslims individuals and communities' human rights and religious freedoms.

In this regard, she urged the Department of Global Communication (DGC) to raise awareness of the phenomenon and to promote messages of tolerance, peaceful coexistence as well as interfaith and cultural harmony among all religions, races and nations.

A couple of months ago, the 193-member Assembly unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution that proclaimed March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia, a move aimed at promoting a culture of tolerance ad peace globally.

In her remarks, the Pakistani delegate also said that in an era where "fake news" travels faster than the truth, it is important to...

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