ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for an end to hatred and discrimination against Muslims around the world on the basis of their faith in a message issued to mark International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The United Nations designated March 15 as the annual international day after a resolution was unanimously adopted last year which called for respect for human rights and religious diversity.
Pakistan was among several Muslim states that played a pivotal role in the institutionalization of the day, as the UN secretary general recognized that Muslims frequently faced bigotry due to their religion.
“On International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Pakistan joins the world community in seeking an end to all forms of hatred, profiling & discrimination against Muslims on the basis of faith,” the prime minister wrote in a Twitter post. “Islam, like other religions, stands all for tolerance, respect, peace & human development.”
The UN commemorated the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia by holding a special event in the General Assembly Hall on Friday.
The gathering was co-convened by foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who described Islamophobia as “a sad reality of our time” which was continuously spreading.
The minister noted the phenomenon was not new, though it had “escalated to epidemic proportions” since September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
“This Islamophobic narrative is not just confined to extremist, marginal propaganda, but regrettably has found acceptance by sections of mainstream media, academia, policymakers and state machinery,” he added.
