Guterres Calls for Action Against Rising Islamophobia

When people are targeted for their faith, everyone is at risk.

The UN chief on Monday urged countries to “work together” to eradicate a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate, calling for a rejection of “the narratives of fear and exclusion.”

As conflict and instability continue, “millions of Muslims around the world carry that pain with them,” said António Guterres, marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. “Let us recommit to equality, human rights, and the dignity of every person, everywhere.”

The Secretary-General warned that for many Muslims living as minorities, daily life is shaped by exclusion, institutional discrimination, socioeconomic marginalisation, unwarranted surveillance, and profiling.

Bias Fuels Divisions

As the world’s two billion Muslims approach the end of Ramadan, Guterres called on governments to take responsibility and introduce measures that “safeguard equality, not entrench prejudice.”

He highlighted the “subtle biases” that rarely make headlines but still “shape lives, erode trust, and send a clear message about who is seen as belonging and who is not.” These include “opportunities quietly denied, assumptions left unchallenged, or questions weighted down by suspicion” and are “driven – and dangerously amplified – by anti-Muslim rhetoric, misinformation, and outright hate.”

Digital Amplification

Addressing the event in New York, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said that these prejudices are now amplified in the digital age. Technologies meant to connect people instead “accelerate the spread of misinformation and prejudice at an unprecedented speed.”

“The consequences are painfully real,” Guterres said, citing harassment, intimidation, vandalism, threats, and attacks on people and mosques as acts that “assault the values that underpin peaceful, inclusive societies everywhere.”

“Standing up against Islamophobia is not only about defending one religious community. It is about defending our shared humanity,” Baerbock added.

She encouraged governments, international institutions, technology companies, and civil society to follow the UN’s example by challenging harmful stereotypes and promoting accurate, responsible information.

Take Responsibility

Guterres warned that when discrimination is “echoed by those in positions of authority, prejudice becomes normalised.”

“When stereotypes are left unchallenged, they harden into policy. And when fear is allowed to guide decision-making, injustice follows.”

He urged governments to enact legislation and security measures that protect people and respect human rights, “not stigmatize entire communities.”

He also emphasised that technology companies have a responsibility to ensure “online spaces bring people together, not drive them apart,” and that they “must do far more to identify, prevent, and address hate speech and harassment.”

Silence Fuels Hatred

“Silence in the face of hatred only allows it to spread,” the Secretary-General said. “We all have a responsibility to speak out against bigotry, xenophobia, and discrimination.”

“As Ramadan draws to a close, Muslims around the world reaffirm values that also form the foundation of the UN Charter. These universal principles must guide our global response to hatred and division.”