OIC Urged to Devise Strategy in Face of Growing Islamophobia
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for such a strategy in a telephone conversation with OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha on Friday.
He said the strategy should be coordinated and comprehensive and aimed at raising global awareness about its perspective and that it should build legal and political deterrence against rising incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.
The Pakistani official voiced strong condemnation of these willful and provocative acts which have hurt sentiments of Muslims worldwide, referring to the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden in late June.
Shehbaz stressed that vilification of religion, revered religious personalities, Holy scriptures and symbols could not be condoned on the self-serving pretext of freedom of expression and protest.
He appreciated the OIC Secretary-General's role in articulating Muslim Ummah's concerns and demands about these Islamophobic trends and incidents.
While welcoming the convening of an urgent debate at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on the issue, Sharif underscored that the OIC must raise the issue with the UN Secretary-General and at other relevant forums and bodies within the UN system.
The OIC Secretary-General echoed Pakistan's condemnation and concerns about the despicable incidents of the public desecration of the Holy Quran. He reaffirmed OIC's firm commitment to tackle the contemporary scourge of Islamophobia.
Source: dailypakistan.com.pk
