ISLAMABAD (WEB DESK)
Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam that has been put in place for the Holocaust.
According to the text of PM’s letter shared by PM Office’s media wing, the prime minister drew CEO’s attention to the growing Islamophobia that was encouraging hate, extremism and violence across the world and especially through the use of social media platforms including Facebook.
“Given the rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims on social media platforms, I would ask you to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that you have put in place for the Holocaust,” he added.
The premier said the message of hate must be banned in total. “one cannot send a message that while hate messages against some are unacceptable, these are acceptable against others. Nor should the world have to wait for a pogrom against Muslims, which is ongoing in countries like India and in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, to be completed before Islamophobia is banned. This in itself is reflective of prejudice and bias that will encourage further radicalization,” he wrote.
PM Imran, while referring to Zuckerberg’s step of banning any posts that criticised or questioned the Holocaust, which was the culmination of the Nazi pogrom of the Jews in Germany and across Europe as Nazis spread across Europe, said that today they were seeing a similar pogrom against Muslims in different parts of the world.
“Unfortunately, in some states, Muslims are being denied their citizenship rights and their democratic personal choices from dress to worship. In India, anti-Muslim laws and measures such as CAA and NRC as well as targeted killings of Muslims and blaming Muslims for coronavirus are reflective of the abominable phenomenon of Islamophobia,” he added.
In France, the prime minister said, Islam has been associated with terrorism and publication of blasphemous caricatures targeting Islam and the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) had been allowed.
“This will lead to further polarization and marginalization of Muslims in France. How will the French distinguish between radical extremist Muslim citizens and the mainstream Muslim citizenry of Islam? we have seen how marginalization inevitably leads to extremism – something the world does not need,” the prime minister cautioned.
