Türkiye's UN envoy warns Islamophobia spreading 'like an unchecked plague'

HAMILTON, Canada

Türkiye's UN envoy on Monday warned that Islamophobia "continues to spread like an unchecked plague, poisoning all layers of society."

"Across many regions today, hate crimes, racism, xenophobia and hostility against Islam have reached alarming levels," Ahmet Yildiz said both on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and as chair of a UN General Assembly high-level event marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Noting that "such acts contradict the fundamental principles of human dignity, equality, human rights and fundamental freedoms," he said that beyond direct harm to targeted communities, Islamophobia undermines "social cohesion and poses a threat to democratic values, public order and peaceful coexistence."

"Islamophobia continues to spread like an unchecked plague, poisoning all layers of society," he stressed.

He emphasized that "Islamophobia is not a matter of legitimate criticism or intellectual debate," and stated that "it is the expression of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance that violates the fundamental rights and dignity of Muslims."

Pointing to the situation in the Gaza Strip and broader regional tensions, he said these developments "have contributed to one of the most profound crises the international community has faced in decades," warning that the crises are also "fueling an alarming rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric."

"Muslims are increasingly portrayed as outsiders, cultural threats or security risks," Yildiz said. "Such narratives contribute to the dangerous normalization of prejudice in public discourse, and, even worse, to the dehumanization of Muslims."

Also raising concern about rising antisemitism, he said that "hatred directed against any religious community is unacceptable" and that "all forms of hatred and discrimination, including Islamophobia and antisemitism, must firmly be rejected."

On accountability, Yildiz called for better tracking of incidents, noting that "many incidents of hate crimes remain absent from official national and international records, as they are frequently categorized as ordinary criminal acts rather than manifestations of hatred and discrimination."

He urged all nations to "adopt effective measures to prevent such acts and to ensure that perpetrators of hate crimes are held accountable."