GENERAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST MUSLIMS

      According to the findings made in February 2022, the human rights violations faced by Muslims around the world in recent years were listed as follows:

    1- Racist discourses all over the world and especially in Europe fuelled violence against Muslims.

   Some European countries have started to take legal steps towards this. These steps and the political language used almost legitimise Islamophobia. Western thought is an understanding that sees the progress of society in competition and conflict. Colonialism fuels conflict between races, Marxism fuels conflict between classes, extreme nationalism fuels conflict between nations and conflict between civilisations. Our civilisation, on the other hand, underlines harmony, respect and solidarity between individuals and societies.

    In many European cities, building mosques or keeping existing mosques open has become a serious issue.

   The Christchurch attack in New Zealand on 15 March 2019 showed that Muslims are not safe anywhere in the world. The designation of this date as the International Day against Islamophobia in 2020 by the OIC Foreign Ministers was an important step. However, no progress was achieved at the UN.

   2- We have a lot of work to do together to defend the rights and law of Muslims all over the world. All Muslim countries have a responsibility to support our brothers and sisters. In particular, we need to seek solutions together to problems such as the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and the deprivation of basic human rights of the Turkish minority in Greece.

   3- In East Turkistan, the Chinese administration has used Muslims from East Turkistan as guinea pigs in nuclear tests. Due to the negative effects of the nuclear tests, which were first started on 16 October 1964 in the region, the people of the region suffered from fatal diseases and 20 thousand disabled children were born. It is known that the number of Muslims who have died as a result of nuclear tests has reached 210 thousand. Thousands of people have been crippled and thousands of others have contracted diseases such as jaundice and cancer.

   4- Continuing to keep the problems of Palestinians living in Palestine and occupied territories on the world agenda, the status of Jerusalem and the efforts to protect Palestinian civilians should be followed and finalised in the UN.

   5- We see that Muslim hostility has become a state policy. We witness the manifestations of Islamophobia, which has become one of the most widespread forms of racism in the last 20 years, in the public and the state in all geographies, from social and traditional media to academia, from international organisations to judicial bodies. It should not be forgotten that the freedom to express one's religion or belief is one of the most fundamental human rights, and the guarantee of the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals is the most primary characteristic and duty of the rule of law. .

   Europe is a spectator to the practices of Greece against the Muslim Turkish minority in Western Thrace and it is not voiced on any occasion. OIC member states should show a strong reaction against Athens.

'Global and political leadership is needed'

Hacı Ali Açıkgül, Chairman of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission and Head of the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Justice, stated that the right of Palestinians to become an independent state is prevented by Israel and that all international law is disregarded with separatist policies.

   Stating that millions of women, children and refugees are affected by human rights violations, Açıkgül said: 'Muslims are subjected to discrimination in political, cultural, social and educational fields in many parts of the world. Policies against Muslims take place on both individual and social scales. Such attitudes naturally increase hostility and violence.

   Açıkgül stated that a comprehensive partnership of civilisations is needed to eliminate discrimination and continued as follows:

'In order to overcome prejudices and build a more reconciliatory society, the international community needs to bring values such as justice and equality to the agenda. We believe in diversity based on religion, race and culture and we work to protect and defend human rights and fight against violations in Palestine, Kashmir and other countries. If we can create public awareness about human rights, we can resolve violations against Muslims on the basis of mutual brotherhood.'

   'They see Muslims as a very easy target'

Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Ammar Hijazi stated that Muslims are subjected to discrimination, deportation and attacks arising from hate speech in many parts of the world and that it is not enough to condemn this, the reasons should be questioned.

   Hicazi pointed out that instead of acting together to solve the problems of Muslims, they are trying to find solutions from other international organisations and said: "I would like to ask this question in particular: Why don't OIC countries put forward a common stance to solve this problem and help their brothers and sisters?

   'Human rights are unfortunately ignored when it comes to Muslims'

Deputy Minister of Justice Yakup Moğul emphasised that the fundamental rights and freedoms of people from birth are inviolable and said: "Human rights are going through great tests all over the world. These difficulties in the field of human rights are mostly felt by Muslims. Unfortunately, human rights standards are ignored when it comes to Muslims.

   Moğul said that Muslims face severe human rights violations in many geographies from Jerusalem to Arakan, from Sudan to Western Thrace, from Yemen to Libya.

   Referring to the increase in discrimination and hate speech against Muslims in Europe as well as in the world, Moğul used the following expressions:

   'The publication of caricatures of our Prophet, the burning of our holy book the Holy Quran, restrictions on the clothing of Muslim women, attacks on mosques and Muslim cemeteries are increasing. In this continent where 35 million Muslims live, human rights violations against Muslims are absolutely unacceptable. We believe that there should be a general attitude and reaction to hate speech regardless of which group, religion, nationality or race one belongs to.'

   Moğul also touched upon the violations against Western Thracian Turks by Greece in recent days and stated that the European Court of Human Rights remained silent on these violations.

     Moğul also drew attention to the embargoes against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and said that the OIC should include cooperation with the TRNC on its agenda.