New York, During a recent Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ambassadorial meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, expressed concern over the inauguration of the Ram Temple at the site of the demolished Babri Mosque. He urged the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) to protect Islamic sites in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Ambassador Akram shared a letter addressed to Miguel Angel Moratinos, the UNAOC High Representative, highlighting the event in Ayodhya city, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a disturbing rise in Hindu majoritarianism in India. The letter, as released by the Pakistan Mission, emphasized the perceived threat this trend poses to the well-being of Indian Muslims and regional peace and harmony.
In his communication, Ambassador Akram remarked that the developments of the past 31 years, culminating in the recent consecration ceremony, demonstrate a concerning trend in India. He noted that this is not an isolated incident, as other mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura, also face similar threats. He linked these actions to territorial claims against Pakistan made by some Chief Ministers of Indian states.
Akram’s letter to Moratinos sought the UNAOC’s urgent intervention for the protection of religious sites in India. He called upon the UNAOC’s leadership to safeguard Islamic heritage sites and secure the rights of religious and cultural minorities in India, referencing the Secretary-General’s action plan for the protection of religious sites.
The issue resonated with other OIC Ambassadors, with some envoys referencing attacks on mosques in European countries. Riyadh Mansour, the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the UN, drew attention to the desecration at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the demolition of mosques and churches in the occupied territories.
The OIC meeting concluded with a decision to include the protection of religious sites on the agenda of the next OIC ambassadorial session.