Imran calls for effective measures to address hate speech, Islamophobia
 

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for effective measures to counter hate speech and Islamphobia, as he called for the “drivers and consequences” of these phenomena to be addressed on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.He expressed the views in a high-level roundtable on ‘Countering Hate Speech’ co-hosted by Pakistan and Turkey, the PM office said in a press release on Wednesday. Noting the growing incidents of discrimination and violence based on religion and belief, the Prime Minister underscored that religion has nothing to do with terrorism.He also cautioned against attempts to denigrate revered personalities and scriptures “cloaked in the right to freedom of expression and opinion”. The world must understand Muslims’ sensitivities for Islam and the reverence for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), he emphasised. The Prime Minister observed that marginalisation of any community could lead to its radicalisation. He said there is a need for promoting greater understanding and tolerance among and between communities across the world.“The United Nations provides an important platform to evolve an informed discourse on countering hate speech,” he said.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his remarks, said Muslims are the most vulnerable community to hate speech across the world. Muslims are being “lynched for eating beef in India” whereas Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir “has been turned into an open prison”, he said, warning he fears bloodshed there.Erdogan termed the hate speech as the worst crimes against humanity. On the occasion, he also expressed his condolences over the tragic loss of lives in earthquake hit areas of Pakistan.Earlier, Prime Minister Khan thanked Erdogan for raising the Kashmir issue in his address on Tuesday to the UN General Assembly. Speaking at a news conference, he hoped more leaders would at least ask India to lift the siege on Kashmir.“We are very thankful that the president [Erdogan] has taken a very principled stance,” said Khan, adding that Pakistan has “very good relationship” with Turkey. He also said Erdogan will visit Islamabad next month.Erdogan told the 193-member Assembly that only dialogue can find a solution to the Kashmir issue that he said awaits a solution for 72 years. “In order for the Kashmiri people to look at a safe future together with their Pakistani and Indian neighbours, it is imperative to solve the problem through dialogue and on the basis of justice and equity, but not through collision,” said Erdogan.“Despite the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council, Kashmir is still besieged and eight million people are still stuck in Kashmir,” the Turkish president, who met Prime Minister Khan on Monday, said.Later, Prime Minister Khan had a bilateral meeting with Egypt President Abdul Fattah al Sisi. Recalling their meeting earlier this year on the sidelines of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Makkah, both leaders reaffirmed their common desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across the range of areas.The Prime Minister apprised Sisi of the aftermath of India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5 that posed grave risk to regional peace and security. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in the interest of peace and security.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/nh1XgFe60w0

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