GENEVA, Sep 16 (APP): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has urged the UN Human Rights Council to effectively address the “systematic” human rights violations of the people suffering from long-running disputes in Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Myanmar and Nagorno-Karabakh, saying its global rights agenda would remain elusive without dealing with those issues.
In a statement delivered on behalf of OIC, Pakistan’s Ambassador Khalil Hashmi said that the Jeddah-based organization also remains “deeply concerned” on the growing incidents of xenophobia, Islamophobia and religious intolerance, resulting in denigration of venerated religious personalities and symbols.
“Recent incidents (re-publication of caricatures by Charlie Hebdo) and burning of the religious text and ridiculing religious personalities constitute grave incitement to violence,” he said while commenting on the report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the situation of human rights in the world. There was no justification for such acts, invoking the right to freedom of expression, he said.
“The OIC calls upon all stakeholders to speak out against these deliberate acts of provocation that have no basis under international human rights law. Culprits behind such acts must be held to account and brought to justice.”
Voicing concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the OIC called on all concerned to ensure the protection of of the people’s basic rights and fundamental freedoms.
“We also urge the Council to implement the recommendations contained in the OHCHR’s two reports on Jammu & Kashmir,” the OIC statement said.
“The OIC also reminds the international community of its obligations to ensure the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and fulfill the promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
On Palestine, the OIC urged all UN bodies, especially the Council, to earnestly follow up on the implementation of resolutions on the Palestine dispute and hold accountable those responsible for violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, Turkey also expressed concern over the human rights situation in IIOJK.
“We reiterate our call to the Indian Government to ease the current restrictions in Jammu-Kashmir,” the Turkish representative to the Council said.
“We sincerely desire that Kashmir issue is resolved through peaceful means between India and Pakistan on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions. “
