Civic group submits petition to UN amid ongoing conflicts over mosque construction in Daegu

A local civic group supporting Muslims in the conflict over a mosque construction in Daegu announced Monday that they filed a petition to the UN requesting emergency relief.

The activists condemned the central government, Daegu Metropolitan Government and Daegu’s Buk-gu office, accusing them of inaction in the issue.

“The fact that the government, Daegu and Daegu Buk-gu turn a blind eye to ongoing acts of religious discrimination and racial hatred constitutes a serious human rights violation of international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,” the group told the press in a statement on Monday.

The ongoing conflict began over two years ago in September 2020 when the Buk-gu office issued construction permit for a mosque in a residential neighborhood near Kyungpook National University in Daegu, about 240 kilometers, southeast of Seoul.

Construction, however, was abruptly halted in February 2021 following strings of complaints from local residents.

The case was eventually transferred to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the Muslim residents last September.

Despite the ruling, the Muslim community is still facing backlash from local Daegu residents, who recently protested by cooking a whole pig near the construction site.

The civic group informed that it expects a response from the UN within the next two months.