ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi on Tuesday called upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to play a proactive role in confronting the challenge posed by Islamophobia.
In a meeting with the OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Ahmad Al-Othaimeen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Fatemi strongly condemned the printing, publication and propagation of blasphemous material, insulting our noble religion and venerated personalities particularly on the social media.
The Special Assistant stressed the need for a collective stance against such incidents of propagation of falsehood and use of violence and preaching of hatred against adherents of Islam.
Tariq Fatemi requested the OIC Secretary General to use his good office to urge all Muslim countries to join hands to impress upon the providers of social media services and host countries the urgency of stopping publication of blasphemous material on their sites, in line with their international obligations.
Fatemi rejected attempts by individuals and states to use the pretext of “freedom of expression”, to engage in these malicious actions.
Moreover, the Special Assistant also briefed the OIC Secretary General on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, terming the unabated killings of innocent Kashmiri people by the Indian forces in the occupied territory, as the worst form of state terrorism. He also highlighted the brutal use of state apparatus against minorities in India, particularly the discriminatory policies and acts of violence against Muslims in India.
The OIC Secretary General thanked the Special Assistance for receiving him in the Foreign Ministry and for the briefing provided to him.
While emphasizing that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was high on the OIC agenda, he regretted that the Indian government had not responded to the OIC request to facilitate the visit of the OIC Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
The Secretary General also agreed with the need to counter Islamophobia, expressing solidarity with Muslim minorities and working together against publication and propagation of blasphemous material, especially on the social media.
The Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also participated in the meeting.
