India Condemns Desecration of Holy Quran at UN Human Rights Council

India on Wednesday emphatically expressed its support for the Pakistani tabled United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) draft resolution condemning the recent desecration of the Holy Quran.

The resolution, tabled by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the State of Palestine, was adopted by 28 votes in favour, seven abstentions and 12 votes against.

India, which voted in favour of the resolution, called for the perpetrators of the acts of religious hatred to be held to account in accordance with international human rights law.

The resolution also urged states to examine their national laws, policies and law enforcement frameworks with a view to identifying gaps in the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence.

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, acknowledged the deep significance of symbols such as the Quran and urged societies to not become “instrumentalised by [the] merchants of chaos for political gain”.

He also condemned the burning of the Quran as an act of protest, which had sparked widespread anger and condemnation across the Islamic world. The resolution was a timely reminder of the need to protect religious symbols and to foster a culture of respect and understanding amongst all nations.

It stressed the importance of refraining from any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence and of rejecting attempts to identify any religion and its followers with terrorism.

In addition, the resolution called for the promotion of education, dialogue, respect and understanding among cultures and religions. It also expressed serious concern over increasing incidents of desecration of religious symbols, especially in public spaces, and called on all states to ensure that such incidents are promptly investigated and the perpetrators are held accountable.

The resolution was a powerful message from the UN HRC, not only to the international community but also to India, to ensure that religious hatred is not allowed to fester and to promote greater understanding and tolerance between different religions and cultures.

India's support for the resolution demonstrates its commitment to upholding international human rights law and its support for religious freedom and tolerance.