A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the Supreme Court in India has ruled on the issue of women entering the Sabarimala temple in Kerala and the UN encourages all to respect the rule of law. Speaking to the media, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary General, Farhan Haq, said, "As you know, this is an issue on which the Supreme Court of India has commented. So, we will leave the matter in the hands of the rule of law authorities in India. Of course, we want all parties to respect the rule of law, and you're aware of the UN's position and its fundamental position on the rights on equal rights of all people."
Haq said this when he was asked about the UN's position on the Sabarimala situation in the wake of the widespread violence in Kerala over the entry of women into the hill-top shrine.
The spokesperson reiterated that the UN obviously encourages all to respect the laws of the country when he was asked by a reporter that not allowing women to enter the temple is a violation of human rights, given that the Supreme Court has ruled in the matter. To a question on the UN's position on equal rights for women also applies to other religions such as Islam or Catholicism, Haq replied: "It applies across the board. The question is how that is to be carried out. In this case, like I said ultimately, this is a question on which the courts have pronounced themselves, and we encourage respect for the rule of law."
