UN chief warns of ‘misplaced suspicions’ of Muslim refugees, migrants after terror attacks

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Sunday 22 Nov 2015 - 11:14 Makkah mean time-10-2-1437 UN chief Ban Ki-moon New York (IINA) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday warned against “misplaced suspicions” about refugees and migrants, especially Muslims, in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut that continue to reverberate around the world with calls to restrict refugee and migrant movement in the name of security, UN News Center reported. “We must be on guard against such distortions and discrimination, which only play into the hands of terrorists trying to sow divisions and fear,” Ban told a UN General Assembly meeting devoted to Syrian asylum-seekers, in which he set out a roadmap to address the root causes and increase funding to manage the flow of refugees and migrants in general. “We must respond not by closing doors but by opening our hearts with unity, tolerance, and pluralism and compassion,” he said. “This will foster true security. We cannot cede any ground – legal or moral – in countering violent extremists. The rights to asylum and non-refoulement must be upheld” he said, adding that: ‘In the wake of terrorist attacks, I am deeply concerned about misplaced suspicions about migrants and refugees, especially those who are Muslims,” the UN chief added. Noting that the immense needs vastly overwhelm resources, Ban urged member states to finance all underfunded humanitarian appeals, but warned that such donations should not come at the expense of development aid, which remains essential. He called for a global approach, citing UN cooperation with the African Union, the ASEAN grouping of South-East Asian countries, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). “No country alone can solve the problem that is inherently international. We will find answers through a collective push that transcends narrow, short-term interests,” he said. AB/IINA