Pakistan Wednesday urged the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to heighten efforts against a rising tide of Islamophobia across the globe.

Willful provocations and incitement to hate and violence had been classified by the U.N. as "universally outlawed," noted Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, speaking via video link at a meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations, a U.N. initiative aimed at encouraging respect between various cultures and faiths.

Qureshi warned of a "global resurgence" of intolerance, discrimination, racism, hate speech, and violence based on religious beliefs.

"Today, Islamophobia is unmistakable in the manifestos of far-right and neo-fascist parties that call for the expulsion of Muslims, in the politicization of the hijab, in cow vigilantism (attacks on Muslim cow-traders by Hindu nationalists), in the burning of the Holy Quran, in the deliberate vandalizing of Islamic symbols and holy sites and in attempts at incitement in the name of free speech through deliberately hurtful caricatures and competitions."

The Alliance of Civilizations is a political initiative co-sponsored by Turkey and Spain after being founded in 2005 by then-U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Praising Turkey and Spain for co-sponsoring the Alliance of Civilizations initiative and organizing the meeting, Qureshi said fears of the coronavirus pandemic which has fueled racism and stigma, demonstrated how deeply rooted the problem of Islamophobia is in various parts of the world.

"In many places, including in our own region, the pandemic has aggravated the suffering of people due to negative religious stereotyping," he said.

"We Muslims live our religion. Understanding must be shown for the pain and anguish caused to Muslims when Islam and its prophet are insulted," the top Pakistani diplomat said.

Urging member countries to the initiative to outlaw willful provocations and incitement to hate and violence, he requested that the UNGA declare an "International Day to Combat Islamophobia" and build a "resilient coalition to end the scourge," Qureshi demanded "Respecting each other's religions and beliefs, not ridiculing them; constructive engagement and not estrangement. Let us work together to build a peaceful world where different civilizations and cultures co-exist in harmony and on the basis of mutual respect," Qureshi added.

The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was founded to advance mutual respect for different cultures and religious beliefs, as well as to provide a platform for bridging divisions and overcoming prejudices.