UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution that strongly condemns continuing violence and acts of terrorism targeting individuals, including persons belonging to religious minorities, based on religion or belief.
In the wake of the horrific attack at two New Zealand mosques, in which 50 people were killed and 50 others injured in March, the assembly on Tuesday convened the meeting and adopted the anti-hate resolution, titled "Combating terrorism and other acts of violence based on religion or belief."
The assembly condemned "in the strongest terms" the heinous, cowardly terrorist attack aimed at Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and the people of that country.
The assembly urged all countries to protect and promote freedom of religion and belief and to foster a domestic environment of religious tolerance, peace and respect.
Introducing the resolution, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the assembly that the international community "must stand up against the spiral of hate."
Sending condolences to the families of the Muslims who were killed in Christchurch in a clearly planned terrorist attack, he said that "Islamophobia and racism go hand in hand."
He also criticized the actions of "reckless politicians" who often use distorted historical narratives and toxic conspiracy theories "to equate Islam with terrorism."
The draft of the resolution proposed by Turkey declares that the member states are "deeply alarmed by all terrorist attacks against places of worship that are motivated by religious hatred, including antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred."