International Day to Combat Islamophobia
International Day to Combat Islamophobia is an international observance designated by United Nations in 2022, taking place on 15 March every year worldwide to counter Islamophobia. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 51 people were killed during Friday prayer in 2019.
Background
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion followers – about 25% of the world population. Islamophobia is the unreasonable dislike or fear of, and prejudice against, Muslims or Islam.Throughout history, various incidences of ethnic cleansing and suppression of Muslims have occurred around the world, such as the Circassian genocide, the Srebrenica massacre, and the Sabra and Shatila massacre, and ongoing conflicts include the Rohingya, Uyghur, and Palestine conflicts. Islamophobia escalated after the September 11 attacks, which caused great distress to Muslims in Europe and the United States.