LAHORE: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF), on behalf of the entire business community, has condemned the republication of blasphemous caricatures in France and the Islamophobic remarks of the French president and also endorsed the call for a boycott of French products across the country.
The PIAF members in a meeting, presided over by its Chairman Mian Nauman Kabir, also passed a resolution unanimously, saying that the French president has hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims around the globe. The meeting was also attended by FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar, LCCI former president Irfan Iqbal Sheikh and PIAF Vice-Chairman Javed Siddiqui.
The resolution stated that publication of blasphemous caricatures and the statement of the French president had hurt Muslims and urged the international community to play its role in preventing such actions.
Mian Nauman Kabir condemned the publication of blasphemous sketches and the Islamophobic comments made by French President Macron. He appealed the fellow businessmen to remove French products from their shops in protest until France apologises to the Muslim world.
He said the PIAF, on behalf of the whole business community, strongly condemned equating Islam with terrorism, which is being done for narrow electoral and political gains.
"Such provocative statements and actions fanned hatred, hostility and confrontation, imperilling efforts for harmony among various segments of society," he added.
He said that freedom of expression should not be misused as means to attack or hurt public sentiments or religious beliefs and fan inter-religious hatred. At a time of rising racism, intolerance and populism there was a need for promoting harmony among peoples and communities, he added.
He stated that Turkish president is right in saying that the French president is mentally unbalanced. He said that the sanctity of Holy Prophet (PBUH) was important to the Muslims more than their lives.
He said that the majority of the people of France do not support Macron. He demanded of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation to immediate notice of the issue. He said that irresponsible statement of the French president has added fuel to the fire, saying nobody has the right to hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims under the garb of freedom of expression. He warned that the seeds of hate being sowed today would polarize the society and have serious consequences.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020