Rising Islamophobia: Qureshi for collective endeavours to combat scourge

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has emphasised the need for collective endeavours to combat the scourge of rising Islamophobia.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen, Thursday, and discussed Islamophobia and the situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) with him.

It added that the two sides discussed a wide range of issues related to the Muslim Ummah.

The foreign minister highlighted that, as a founding member of the Organization, Pakistan attached utmost importance to the OIC and the issues of concern to the Muslim world.

Qureshi noted the rise in incidents of Islamophobia and hate speech against Muslims, including desecration of the holy Quran and reprinting of caricatures of the holy Prophet (PBUH), which had seriously hurt the sentiments of the Muslims around the world.

The foreign minister highlighted the importance of collective endeavours to combat the scourge of Islamophobia.

He also apprised the OIC secretary general of the worsening human rights and humanitarian situation in the IIOJK since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019.

He highlighted that India had promulgated new domicile rules and introduced amendments in landownership laws to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, which was a clear violation of the relevant UN and OIC resolutions, and the international law.

The foreign minister stated that besides continued lockdown, military siege and communication blackout for over one year, occupation forces had intensified repression of the Kashmiri population through extra-judicial killings in fake “encounters” and “collective punishment” for Kashmiri communities and neighbourhoods.

He also appreciated the OIC’s consistent support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020