Iran's UN envoy:

Hate speech on religion spreads extremist ideologies

TEHRAN (defapress) – Iran's UN envoy Khoshroo said those who engage in hate speech against followers of divine religions play right into the terrorists’ hands and help them to recruit more members and spread such heinous extremist ideologies.

News ID: 67639

Date: 21 December 2017 - 12:05

Gholamali Khoshroo, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, addressed the UN General Assembly on Dec. 20 during the introduction of the draft resolution on “A world against violence and violent extremism”.

The draft resolution was proposed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the United Nations General Assembly in Sep. 2013. Later that year, in December, the UN overwhelmingly voted to adopt the resolution authored by Iran which called upon all nations to denounce violence and extremism.

Khoshroo maintained that the consensus for the adoption of the resolution “underscores the universal recognition of the need to act on the pressing global challenges of violence and violent extremism.”

He went on to hail dialogue, moderation and tolerance as “the most effective antidotes to violent extremism, which tries to twist religions and pervert human minds towards death and destruction.”

Khoshroo further called on the international community to avoid associating violent extremism with any particular nationality or religion.

The full text of his address at the UN General Assembly is as follows:

Mr. President,

I have the honour to introduce, under agenda item 15, draft resolution A/72/L32, entitled “A World Against Violence and Violent Extremism”.

Let me first express my sincere gratitude to all the sponsors of the draft resolution and all other delegations for their constructive participation and support during the open and transparent consultations that my delegation conducted. Their interventions and proposals helped make the draft resolution reflective of the developments since the adoption of the same resolution two years ago.

This draft resolution is a follow-up to and an update of resolution 68/127 and 70/109 which my delegation took pride in submitting to the Assembly in 2013 and updating in 2015, which were both adopted by consensus. The consensus underscores the universal recognition of the need to act on the pressing global challenges of violence and violent extremism.

The idea behind the resolution was presented by His Excellency Mr. Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in his address to the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. The idea was an offshoot of the overarching theme of his presidential campaign platform, which called for interaction, tolerance, moderation and prudence over violence and extremism.

Violent extremism and its side-effects, including sectarian violence, have been on the rise since the first resolution on this topic was adopted in 2013. In the wake of the atrocities committed by the extremist groups in Syria and Iraq in the past four years as well as the cruelties committed by Daesh and other terrorist groups in various population centers across the globe, it is important that the General Assembly continues to focus on these challenges. In our globalized world, where threats recognize no borders, these challenges can be thwarted only through the joint efforts of the entire international community.

Dialogue, moderation and tolerance are the most effective antidotes to violent extremism, which tries to twist religions and pervert human minds towards death and destruction. It is therefore important that the international community and its individual Member States adopt effective measures along this line and implement them with a view to dealing with the conditions conducive to the genesis and spread of violent extremism.

In this respect, it is important to avoid associating violent extremism with any particular nationality or religion. In fact, those who blame religions and engage in hate speech against the followers of the divine religions play right into the terrorists’ hands and help them to recruit more members and spread such heinous extremist ideologies. By reaffirming this point, the General Assembly, as the sole universal body, provides a solid basis for promoting and institutionalizing the fight against violent extremism and sectarian violence at their roots.

Mr. President,

Apart from certain basic technical updates to the second resolution on A World Against Violence and Violent Extremism, this draft resolution also incorporates a few additional elements. It recalls and reaffirms measures taken at the national and multilateral levels. It recalls the high-level General Assembly Conversation on Religions for Peace, held on 5 and 6 May 2016. It also recognizes the effort made by UNESCO, including through the organization of the conference on “Internet and the Radicalization of Youth: Preventing, Acting and Living Together”, held on 30 October and 1 November of 2016. In its operative part, it notes the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and his report in response to resolution 70/109 and requests him to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution.

Finally, allow me to express my sincere hope that the draft resolution will gain the broadest possible support and be adopted by consensus. That will help accelerate coordination and cooperation among States towards addressing the problems emanating from violent extremism.

Thank you Mr. President.