NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday of a “rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry and hate” around the world, as he urged governments, technology companies and individuals to take stronger action to combat discrimination and protect human rights.
Speaking during a high-level event at the UN in New York marking International Day to Combat Islamophobia, he said nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide continue to face exclusion, discrimination and violence, online and offline.
“We are facing a rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry and hate,” Guterres said. “For far too many Muslims, daily life can be shaped by exclusion.”
Bias can take overt forms, such as institutional discrimination, socioeconomic effects, immigration restrictions and profiling, but can also appear in more subtle ways, including opportunities that are quietly denied and suspicions that go unchallenged, the UN chief added.
“These everyday experiences rarely make the headlines or statistics,” he said. “But over time, they shape lives, erode trust and send a clear message about who is seen as belonging and who is not.”
