Two senior U.N. officials slam hatred against Muslims

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Tuesday 15 Dec 2015 - 10:29 Makkah mean time-4-3-1437 Two girls hold a sign reading "Not in my name" as members of the Milanese Muslim community gather in downtown Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 to protest against violence. AP Photo New York, (IINA) - Two senior U.N. officials said on Monday they are sickened by blatant manifestations of hatred and intolerance by public figures and others, particularly against Muslims, in response to recent extremist attacks, Al Arabiya reported. Adama Dieng, the special adviser on the prevention of genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, the special adviser on the responsibility to protect civilians, said any "Advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" is prohibited by international human rights law and laws in many countries. In a joint statement, they denounced "the deliberate and dangerous spread of misinformation and the manipulation of people's fears and concerns for political gain." Dieng and Welsh strongly condemned extremist attacks but underlined that linking such attacks to Muslims has resulted in discrimination and targeting. They said calls by U.S. political figures for Muslims to be banned from entering the United States, to be registered in a national database or to be forced to carry identification that would highlight their religion are "unacceptable" and "an affront to our common humanity." They did not specifically name any Americans, but U.S. Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump has advocated all of these positions, creating a political firestorm that has galvanized his supporters in the Republican base while generating denunciations from the party establishment and all the leading Democratic candidates. Anti-Muslim sentiment was already building in the United States after the deadly Nov. 13 Paris attacks, with most Republican state governors saying they opposed resettling refugees from Syria's civil war in their states. At a time when the world in facing complex challenges including confronting violent extremist groups, the special advisers urged governments and other "leading actors" to "counter lies, prejudice and fear" and respect international and national laws. SM/IINA