News Desk |
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced Pakistan’s decision to join forces with Turkey in investigating the underlying foundations that are breeding Islamophobia in the West. He announced that Pakistan and Turkey have called an emergency meeting of the OIC in Istanbul, which will be attended by the Foreign Ministers of all member Muslim states to discuss the causes of anti-Islamic sentiments and hatred against Muslims spreading across the West.
Foreign Minister Qureshi made this announcement while addressing a press briefing in the capital. He revealed that this decision was made after his conversation with the Turkish Foreign Minister in the aftermath of the New Zealand terrorist attacks. He informed of Turkey’s decision to call an OIC meeting of the Foreign Ministers to devise a strategy of combatting the germs of Islamophobia that are driving violence against Muslims across the world.
He said, “During the meeting, efforts will be made to unify the Ummah and devise a strategy to know the root causes of growing Islamophobia in the West and its implications for Muslims around the world.”
Turkish President also highlighted that many of the names scribbled across Tarrant’s gun were of some of the greatest adversaries of Muslims and the Turkish people, including the barbarians of the Crusades.
While addressing the UN Commission on Status of Women last week, Pakistan’s UN representative Dr. Maleeha Lodhi asserted Pakistan’s stance against Islamophobia. She reminded the international community that the brutal terrorist attack on innocent Muslim worshippers is yet another reminder that the hatred sown by Islamophobia is manifesting its violence across the world.
Dr. Maleeha Lodhi associated the New Zealand attack with the forces of stereotyping, and she built a strong case that misperceptions, sentiments of violence and demonization of any religious community tends to have horrid consequences for the society and world at large. She highlighted that it is a “slippery slope” when Muslims all over the globe are “stereotyped and mischaracterized” by those who utter hate slurs and promote anti-Islamic narratives.
Erdogan Calls out West for Aligning Terrorism with Islam
While addressing a rally in Izmir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shed light on the West’s contrasting principles when it comes to aligning terrorist attacks with Muslims and Islam. He asserted that instead of labelling the attacker as a “Christian terrorist”, they chose to highlight the tragedy as an attack on Muslims. President Erdogan accused the western community of exercising double standards while defining terrorism.
Read more: Rise of militant Islamophobia: The West helps by ignoring it
Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reports that President Erdogan also condemned Australian Senator Fraser Anning for his comments that linked the New Zealand attack with the Muslim immigrants. Throughout his public addresses in the past week, Erdogan has been asserting the fact that terrorism is not associated with any religion, least of all Islam, a religion that preaches peace.
Daily Sabah reports that President Erdogan also raised questions about Brenton Tarrant, the New Zealand attacker, and his visit to Istanbul. “He visited Istanbul twice, his first trip was three-day long while his second trip lasted for 40 days. We will find out who his connections are.” Erdogan also shed light on the manifesto published by Tarrant prior to the attack, and how it targeted Turkey. “Erdogan quoted Tarrant’s words, “We will kill you if you cross west of the Bosporus, we will come to Istanbul and destroy all the mosques and minarets…”
Read more: Christchurch mosque shootings must end New Zealand’s innocence about right-wing terrorism
Turkish President also highlighted that many of the names scribbled across Tarrant’s gun were of some of the greatest adversaries of Muslims and the Turkish people, including the barbarians of the Crusades. Erdogan voiced his apprehension over how Brenton Tarrant, a violent mass murderer living on the other side of the globe be consumed with so much hatred for Turks and Muslims of this world.
Mina Jahangir with additional input by News Desk.