Jeddah, 21st March 2024: The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joins the international community in observing the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2024’ and reiterates the importance of recognizing, addressing, and eradicating all forms of racism and colonial oppression and occupation across the world. While standing together against racism in all its forms and manifestations, it reaffirms commitment to equality, justice, and dignity for all regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or background for a world order where diversity is celebrated, respected and valued, the Commission added.
The Commission underscored that racial discrimination is a violation of human rights and fundamental principles of equality and fairness. The prohibition of racial discrimination is enshrined in all core international human rights instruments, including Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, International Convention on Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination, Durban Declaration and Program of Action, OIC Charter, Cairo Declaration of the OIC on Human Rights, 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals and OIC Ten Year Plan of Action 2025. These instruments place obligations on States for eradicating discrimination in the public and private spheres. These normative frameworks require States to take proactive measures to combat racial discrimination, including legislative and policy reforms, awareness-raising campaigns, and establishment of effective mechanisms for redressal and accountability to create societies where individuals can live free from the scourge of racial discrimination and prejudice, fostering a culture of equality, justice, and respect for diversity.
The Commission further highlighted that Islamophobia and anti- Palestinian racist apartheid is a contemporary form of racism which involves irrational and prejudiced discrimination against individuals based on their religious affiliation. This signifies that markers of identification of communities have moved from just race, colour and national or ethnic origin to include religion. The intersectionality of Islamophobia with ethnicity, culture, and appearance further underscores its resemblance to racism. Such stereotyping, results in systemic discrimination, exclusion, and sometimes even violence. Also, Palestinian people are being systematically discriminated against based on their racial, religious and national identity, by using a racist structure and a set of policies, by the Israeli occupation authorities, aimed at repression of the dignity and integrity of the Palestinian civilians. Accordingly, reiterated that Zionism which promotes the exclusive right of the Jewish people in the occupied Palestinian territories, and denies the right of Palestinians in their home land, is a form of racial discrimination.
The Commission stressed the need to comprehensively address the root causes of racial discrimination and its contemporary manifestations through collaborative efforts at the international, State, and societal levels. Such efforts include open and transparent political, interracial, interfaith and intercultural dialogue to end racial occupation and fostering tolerance, mutual respect and diversity by fighting all forms of prejudice, poverty, discrimination and marginalization. To this end, States must work together to address structural inequities and systemic barriers that perpetuate racial discrimination, such as unequal access to resources, opportunities, and services by upholding right to development of nations and people. Also, there is a need to engage communities and civil society including media that promote positive narratives about different racial and ethnic groups and challenges stereotypes and prejudices in framing public policies aimed at safeguarding and promoting cultural diversity, eradicating all forms of racism for creating peaceful societies.
