IT is a very bitter fact that over the years, Islamophobia has become a reality and its manifestations by and large were hate speech, discrimination and violence against Muslims which were somehow continuing to proliferate in several parts of the world. Pakistan has been voicing its great concern in this regard for quite some time on all international forums drawing the attention of the world at large to take much needed due attention of this fast emerging menace of Islamophobia in furtherance of terrorism.
In the midst of growing terrorism and as a consequence of Islamophobia in the West, the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2022 had unanimously adopted a resolution declaring March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The resolution, adopted by consensus, was introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was indeed quite welcome and appreciable in the right direction. It was also a moral victory for the Muslims to say the least. Priorily, on 15 March 2019, a 28 year youth of Australian origin had killed 51 Muslims while they were offering Friday prayers in yet another of terrorism. Islamophobia was as such continuing unabatedly worldwide without any effective measures from the global power centres.
This had marked the day when some years back, a gunman had entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and killed 51 and injured another 40 of those who were offering their prayers there. Though the UNGA resolution was, by and large, welcomed but quite unfortunately it was not taken seriously by the western countries’ governments and the people as incidents of Islamophobia by way of desecration of the Holy Quran, publication of blasphemous sketches and cartoons of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and hate speeches here and there continue hurting the sentiments and feelings of the Muslim Ummah every now and then. Nothing was the most holiest and sacred for the Muslims than the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The western countries as such never get tired of blowing the trumpet of religious freedom and protection of basic human rights on every occasion, but when it comes to their own societies, they appear to be lacking all these what they otherwise persistently claimed. The recent rise in the incidents and acts of Islamophobia do highlight a quite disturbing pattern of religious tolerance that continues to persist in the western world.
In the latest quite despicable, provocative and deplorable act, some extremist elements in Sweden resorted to burning of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Azha. According to some reports, the Swedish police were providing protection to a 37-year maniac in the performance of this sinful and disgraceful act. This was not the first time that such a hateful and disgraceful act had taken place in Sweden and many other western states. Like previous incidents, this incident was also well-planned and executed. Despite requests of the Mosque Administration, the police did not listen and allowed the incident to take place. Indeed this act like many other such acts were the worst form of Islamophobia which must be countered and combated as well as condemned and deplored. Besides the western countries, Islamophobia menace was also quite regretfully encouraged and promoted at the state level in furtherance of Hindutwa mindset and not only Muslims but also other minorities are being targeted regularly.
Quite obviously, this outrageous act has hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims across the world. They have been rightly angered over desecration as being part of their faith, needless to emphatically state that the Muslims can tolerate anything but the desecration of Holy Quran.
In Pakistan, people in large numbers came out on streets as soon as they heard about this latest act of Islamophobia in Stockholm, Sweden. On his part, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing the joint session of Parliament urged all civilized nations and international institutions to play an effective role in combating Islamophobia, desecration of Holy Quran was an attempt to create animosity between the Muslims and Christians and any such recurrence of such a condemnable act would not be tolerated called upon the people to observe Youm-e-Taqddus-e- Quran on 7 July and asked Sweden to clarify the position of Holy Quran burning. Accordingly, the people came out in large numbers in rallies and processions in every nook and corner of the country protesting, deploring and condemning desecration of the Holy Quran and demanding of the western countries to take appropriate measures to ensure such Islamophobia acts do not occur and inter-faith harmony was institutionally and legally promoted.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on its part, called for joint actions against desecration of Holy Quran, and urged application of international law which prohibited any advocacy of religion in a statement issued after an extraordinary meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which was called for deplorable incident which occurred in Sweden.
As such condemnable and deplorable acts of Islamophobia continue to take place in one or the other western countries every now and then, the Muslim countries ought to take some strongest measures such as recalling their ambassadors, lodging protests with the respective governments officially and much more importantly ask their people to boycott the products of the countries where incidents of Islamophobia as and when occur. It has been proved that merely condemnation, lodging protest and taking out protest rallies and processions were not effective and the countries where such abhorrent acts take place and the governments remain unmoved like the Swedish government then such countries should be hit back hard through the harshest measures like boycott of their products.
—The writer is Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan.
Email: zahidriffat@gmail.com
