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NEW YORK: The UN marked the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on Friday, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning “a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry” worldwide.
In remarks delivered to the UN General Assembly by his Chief of Staff Courtenay Rattray, Guterres expressed concern over the increasing discrimination, exclusion and violence faced by Muslims globally, particularly as they observe the holy month of Ramadan.
“From racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship,” Guterres underscored that these attacks on Muslims are part of a broader “scourge” of rising extremism, intolerance and violence against religious groups and other vulnerable communities.
The International Day to Combat Islamophobia was established by the UNGA on March 15, 2022.
The resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, was adopted to raise awareness of the growing global issue of Islamophobia.
The day aims to address the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and foster a global commitment to combat discrimination, exclusion and violence against Muslims.
The secretary-general’s message also emphasized the importance of safeguarding human rights, asserting that attacks on any group threaten the rights and freedoms of all.
“We must reject and eradicate bigotry in all its forms,” the statement urged, calling for governments to protect religious freedom, foster social cohesion, and address the rise of hate speech and harassment on digital platforms.
“We must all speak out against xenophobia, discrimination, and bigotry,” Guterres added, urging a global commitment to building inclusive societies where people can live peacefully regardless of faith.

HELSINKI: A Finnish court on Friday sentenced a Russian neo-Nazi to life in prison on war crimes charges stemming from a 2014 clash in Ukraine, with Kyiv hailing the ruling as a “key milestone.”
The Helsinki district court found Vojislav Torden, a commander of the Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary group Rusich, guilty of “four different war crimes” committed in the Lugansk region of eastern Ukraine.
His lawyer, Heikki Lampela, told Finnish media that Torden was surprised by the ruling and would appeal it.
The prosecution had accused Torden of five counts of war crimes that resulted in the deaths of 22 Ukrainian soldiers.
The court dismissed the main count, which argued the Rusich forces ambushed a convoy of two vehicles, a truck and a car, carrying Ukrainian soldiers on September 5, 2014.
As other groups were also present, the court said the prosecution had not proven that Rusich and Torden were responsible for the ambush.
However, Torden was found guilty of leading the actions of Rusich’s soldiers at the scene following the ambush and of killing one wounded soldier.
He was also found guilty of authorizing fighters to mutilate Ivan Issyk by cutting the symbol used by the group — the kolovrat, or “spoked wheel” — into his cheek.
The emblem is often used by ultranationalist and neo-Nazi groups in Russia and Eastern Europe. Issyk died as a result of his wounds.
Torden was also found guilty of having taken derogatory photos of a fallen soldier at the scene and posting it to social media.
The office of the Ukraine’s prosecutor general on Friday hailed the court’s decision as “a key milestone in holding perpetrators of grave violations of international humanitarian law accountable.”
“Ukraine remains committed to working with partners worldwide to ensure there is no impunity for war criminals,” it said in a statement posted on social media.
According to Finnish public broadcaster YLE, Torden was arrested by Finnish border guards at Helsinki airport as he tried to leave the country in August 2023.
He was on the EU sanctions list and banned from entering Finland.
Ukraine had sought Torden’s extradition, which Finland’s supreme court rejected, citing the risk of him not receiving a fair trial and suffering inhumane conditions in prison.
In October last year, Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) completed a comprehensive probe launched in December 2023.
The investigation involved close cooperation with Ukrainian prosecutors and security services as well as Europol, the International Criminal Court and Eurojust — the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.
Finland applies “universal jurisdiction,” a legal principle allowing it to bring charges on its soil for suspected serious crimes committed anywhere in the world.