Thank you, High Commissioner.
Religious intolerance divides societies and rips communities apart. There is no place for hatred including events of Quran burning seen earlier this year. Indeed, we must address all manifestations of religious intolerance wherever they occur.
- Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Myanmar face systemic discrimination: denied access to basic services on a daily basis
- The dissemination of malicious anti-Semitic narratives, especially relating to the Covid 19 pandemic
- Uyghurs and Tibetans in China: religious and cultural sites destroyed; forcibly assimilated; Muslims labelled extremists for wearing hijabs
- Baha'is in Iran: harassed, prosecuted and imprisoned for their faith.
All these situations, and more, must be part of this debate.
High Commissioner, as you have said, the right to freedom of expression can only be limited under clear and narrowly defined parameters. Sometimes this will cause offence. But causing offence is not always inciting violence, discrimination or hatred.
Laws should never be used to curtail freedom of expression in ways contrary to international law, nor blasphemy punished by the death penalty.
Implementing HRC resolution 16/18 remains the most effective way to combat religious intolerance. It is consensual, action-orientated, and, most importantly, has led to positive change. We must reunite around this approach.
