There have been news reports in the written and visual media that the Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Ağa Mosque in the city of Limassol in Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (CGASC) was attacked by arson in the early hours of 26 August 2023.
Freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed by many international conventions, notably the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, and to discriminate people based on their religion, belief and sect is prohibited. In this respect, a number of obligations have been imposed on both States Parties and international organizations in order to guarantee the rights and freedoms of individuals without any discrimination and to ensure equal and safe implementation of these rights for all.
Anti-Islamism/Islamophobia is one of the most common manifestations of discrimination and hate speech on the basis of religion and belief in the world. Archaic acts such as attacks on mosques and burning of the Holy Quran are also examples of Islamophobia (Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, "Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Symposium Proceedings Book", https://www.tihek.gov.tr/nefret-soylemi-ve-nefret-suclari-sempozyumu-tebligler-kitabi/ , E.T. 27/8/2023). Combating Islamophobia is one of the main duties of states and international organizations. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) also stated in its General Policy Recommendation No. 5 on Preventing and Combating anti-Muslim Racism and Discrimination that, "Governments have a duty to promote freedom of religion and to ensure that all persons of faith, without exception, can live and develop in their societies without fear of intolerance or discrimination." (ECRI, General Policy Recommendation No. 5 on Preventing and Combating anti-Muslim Racism and Discrimination: Main Points, https://rm.coe.int/5-nolu-ecri-genel-politika-tavsiye-karar-mus-lumanla-ra-kars-hosgorusuzl/16808da199 , E.T. 27/8/2023). In this context, some measures are taken on Islamophobia at the international level. As a result of the initiatives of our country, 15 March was designated as the "International Day to Combat Islamophobia" with the resolution accepted within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and adopted at the UN General Assembly in 2022. The efforts of our country in this regard are of great importance in terms of eliminating anti-Islamism.
Despite the guarantee of freedom of religion and belief by international conventions and positive developments in the international arena, hate speech and hate crimes against Islam and Muslims are increasing, especially in Europe. The last example of these regrettable acts is the arson attack to Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Ağa Mosque in Limassol, GCASC on 26 August 2023. It is clear that the recent increase in hate speech and crimes against Islam and Muslims requires rapid institutionalization and international cooperation in the fight against Islamophobia.
The Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye (HREIT) is tasked and authorized with "Following and assessing international developments in areas of human rights and non-discrimination" in subparagraph (m) of the first paragraph of Article 9 titled "Duties of the Institution" of the Law No. 6701 on the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye. In this context, we condemn the arson attack against Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Ağa Mosque in the GCASC and declare that we will follow the incident.
Respectfully announced to the public.