ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Wednesday said the UN resolution termed March 15 as International Day to combat Islamophobia, which is a big achievement for Muslim Ummah.
Addressing a press conference, he said it was great achievement of entire Muslim Ummah that the UN General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against Islamophobia moved by Pakistan’s permanent representative on behalf of the OIC and decided to observe March 15 as International Day for Combating Islamophobia every year.
The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan always raised the issue of Islamophobia at different platforms including international forums on behalf of 1.5 billion Muslims and conveyed that Islam was a religion of peace and has nothing to do with terrorism.
The minister said during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Makkah in 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke on Islamophobia and the dignity and honour of the holy Prophet (PBUH). He said Imran Khan was heard and given importance at the international level.
Farrukhfurther maintained that while addressing in UN General Assembly in September 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan raised the issue of Islamophobia and the honour of Prophet (PBUH) before the world.
The minister said that due to the hatred spread against Muslims through Islamophobia Muslims were targeted in the world, the attack inside a mosque in New Zealand, the hijab ban in India, and attack on Muslim women in the West were its manifestation.
He said that during the OIC meeting in 2020, our Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded that March 15 should be declared as the International Day for Combating Islamophobia.
Farrukh Habib said that the credit goes to PM Imran Khan for declaring March 15 as International Day of Islamophobia who time and again raised the issue at all relevant global forums.
He said that Russian President Putin raised his voice against Islamophobia, a resolution was also tabled in the US House of Representatives.
He also assured Prime Minister Imran Khan will continue to represent the sentiments of Muslims of the entire world.
He criticized Fazlur Rehman, who he said was indulged in character assassination of the PM, terming him as Western agent, which was contrary to the facts.
Criticizing the so-called religio-political parties doing politics in the name of Islam, he said that the objective of their politics was “Islamabad not Islam”.
Farrukh Habib said ever since Imran Khan became the prime minister, he has exposed the oppression of humanity all over the world, including of Kashmiris.
He cited the example of Pakistan hosting the OIC meeting on Afghanistan.
Foreign ministers of 57 countries will be present in Pakistan on March 22-23 and on this occasion everyone needs to adopt national thinking and stop getting political mileage.
Replying to a question, he said peaceful political activity was the beauty of democracy and the PTI government has always allowed such activities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022