Turkish First Lady welcomes UN's Islamophobia draft resolution
People hold up a banner during a 'Unity Vigil' against racism and Islamophobia in reaction to Wednesday's attack, backdropped by the gates of Downing Street in London, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP File Photo)


Türkiye's First Lady Emine Erdoğan welcomed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) inclusion of the term Islamophobia in a draft resolution, as a result of the efforts of Türkiye, which she said was a positive step for fighting discrimination and racism.

In a tweet she posted on Twitter, the first lady said the move is a "promising development for Muslim communities and humanity as a whole."

She continued by saying that the U.N.'s recognition of Islamophobia as a term will also contribute to enhancing the fight against it.

"I hope that justice and tolerance triumph in an atmosphere where countries considered as the heart of democracy and freedom remain silent in the face of rising hatred and discrimination," Ms. Erdoğan said.

The term Islamophobia was included following the initiative of Türkiye's Permanent Representative of Türkiye to UNESCO, Gülnur Aybet.

Türkiye has been taking concrete steps to address the issue of Islamophobia at the global level and experts note that the country can lead others by institutionalizing the fight against the problem.

Turkish officials have continuously called on world leaders to take action to stop the demonization of Muslims and have been taking action to tackle the growing problem.