Sixth annual session on guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities Forum on Minority Issues has been held in Palais des Nations in Geneva on 26-27 November and Prevention Association of Social Harms (P.A.S.H.)' representative has presented oral statement:

 

Support for the existence of religious minorities and prevention of violence against them International peace and security has repeatedly been put to challenge in today's world due to ethnic conflicts. More than one hundred wars have taken place in the world since the end of the Second World War, most of which have been ethnic conflicts.

Although in recent years the idea of the protection of minorities as a specific item have appeared in human rights studies and recorded in conventions and resolutions, but the way in which a general principle is reached for the protection of the rights of minorities is a question that has not been answered.

Violence against minorities has always been one of the cause for concerns of human rights defenders but the thing that despite all efforts and international concerns, this violence continues on unabated, and even in most cases it intensifies, and the subject of minorities become more complex.

One of the most important existing problems in the way of solving minorities issues is the exploitation of political groups from the position of defending minorities' rights, where in most instances on the pretext of defending minorities rights will resort to extremist acts such as assassinations, spreading fear and committing violent acts.

We believe that the defence of the rights of minorities must not become a tool for extremist groups for their political objectives, and while this NGO deems violence against minorities as a violation of human rights, it stresses that any form of acts of terrorism and violence on the pretext of defending minorities rights will not only spread hatred among different groups of society but will cause further violation of the rights of minorities.

We believe that efforts to identify extremist and opportunist groups from the real defenders of minorities' rights can be a first step in the reduction of violence and an efforts towards the protection of the rights of minorities.