“Stop construction of Islamic mosques is a violation of human rights” Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea’s Constitution

On the 1st, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRCK) ordered the Daegu Buk-gu Office, which halted the construction of the mosque for eight months due to protests and civil complaints from residents, saying, “It is a decision based on negative preconceptions about Islam and Muslims.” recommended.

The Human Rights Commission also strongly criticized residents who oppose the construction of mosques for posting banners with hateful expressions such as “Islam is a religion of the devil that kills people”, saying, “There is content that incites discrimination and violence against Muslims.” I did. They saw that there were elements of human rights violations in the protests of the residents against the construction of the mosque.

The position of the owner, Nard Khan, who is promoting the construction of the mosque. [JTBC뉴스룸 캡처]

As the basis for this judgment, the Human Rights Commission heard that Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, “All citizens are equal before the law. No one shall be discriminated against in any field on the basis of gender, religion or social status.” In addition, the Daegu Buk-gu Office said that it violated the rights of victims to pursue happiness and personality guaranteed by Article 10 of the Constitution by stopping communism and not removing the banner containing discriminatory expressions.

Earlier in February, the Daegu Buk-gu Office stopped the construction when complaints from residents against the construction of a Muslim mosque under construction in Daegu Daehyeon-dong rained. In a statement submitted to the Human Rights Commission, the city of Daegu argued that “there is a risk of property rights infringement due to the slums of neighboring areas due to the construction of Islamic mosques,” but it was not accepted.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea criticized the suspension of construction of mosques on the 1st as a measure based on preconceived notions about Islam. [연합뉴스]

In July, civic groups supporting the construction of the mosque won a lawsuit against the execution of the administrative order to suspend construction, but the mosque construction has not been resumed due to protests from the residents. This recommendation of the Human Rights Commission has no compulsory effect, and it is unknown whether the Daegu Buk-gu Office will accept the recommendation.