New York: Despite the overwhelming condemnation of the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran, the vote caused more discord than harmony. Countries from Europe and America claimed that with a little more effort, a stronger, unified consensus could have been reached.
A debate and resolution were proposed by Pakistan and other Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries after an Iraqi refugee burned Quranic pages in front of Stockholm's largest mosque last month. The incident led to diplomatic repercussions throughout the Muslim world.
The United Nations' top rights body backed the OIC resolution on countering religious hatred by 28 votes in favour, with 12 against and seven abstentions. Argentina, China, Cuba, India, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam backed the resolution.
"Islamophobia is on the rise. Incidents involving desecrating the holy Quran have happened again and again in some countries," China's ambassador Chen Xu said. "These countries have done nothing to implement their professed respect for the protection of freedom of religious belief."
Despite backing the resolution, Argentinian ambassador Federico Villegas admitted: “We would have liked to have reached a text with more consensus and clarity.”
Britain, the United States, European Union countries including France and Germany, plus Costa Rica and Montenegro, voted against the resolution. Mexico's ambassador Francisca Mendez Escobar said: "Not all criticism of religion amounts in and of itself to an incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence."
Paraguay's ambassador Marcelo Scappini Ricciardi said that a resolution which was supported by all countries could have been "clearly possible".
"If we cannot agree on such an essential topic, that does not show us in a good light," he said.