UNITED NATIONS, May 3 -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Friday urged the rejection of attacks on places of worship while attending a General Assembly event to commemorate the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.

"Churches, mosques, synagogues and the religious sites of many faiths are being targeted for murder, arson, vandalism and desecration. We must reject this form of violence," she said.

The world is experiencing a dangerous rise in intolerance, xenophobia and racism. And today such hatred spreads easily and swiftly on the Internet, she warned.

The United Nations continues to strengthen its efforts to counter and prevent terrorism and violent extremism, said Mohammed.

She noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has set in motion two initiatives. He has asked his special representative on genocide prevention to devise a plan of action to mobilize the UN system's response to tackling hate speech, and his high representative for the alliance of civilizations to explore how the world body can contribute in ensuring the safety of religious sites.

Mohammed expressed the United Nations' solidarity with the people and government of Sri Lanka and extended condolences to the families of the victims.

The Easter attacks in Sri Lanka on April 21, which targeted churches and luxury hotels, killed more than 250 people and injured more than 500.

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