Baghdad: UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres warned of the alarming rise in anti-Muslim intolerance around the world, calling on online platforms to curb hate speech and harassment.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in a video message marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Guterres said: "We are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim intolerance, racial profiling, and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, and escalate to outright violence against individuals and places of worship." He stressed the "need for online platforms to stop hate speech and harassment, and for everyone to raise their voices against intolerance, xenophobia, and discrimination."

Human rights organizations around the world and the United Nations have reported a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Arab bias, and anti-Semitism since the start of Israel's devastating military offensive on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

In recent weeks, human rights watchdogs have published data indicating record levels of hate incidents and hate speech against Muslims in a number of European and Asian countries, while governments in these countries affirm their commitment to combating all forms of discrimination.