AS was genuinely expected, Pakistan is in the forefront of the efforts to counter Islamophobia, sending a strong message not just to Sweden, where the Holy Book (Quran) was desecrated, and other countries of the globe where freedom of expression is being misused to malign Islam, its symbols and followers. The joint sitting of parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution, urging the relevant international organisations and states to legislate and criminalise desecration of symbols of religions including holy books, personalities, places of worship and followers. The parliament reflected injured sentiments of people of Pakistan, who showed unreserved and remarkable unity in denouncing desecration of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Sweden by their massive participation in rallies and protest demonstrations organized in the length and breadth of the country to protest against the extremist act in Sweden,
The strong reaction in the Islamic world in general and Pakistan in particular must have served as a reminder to extremist elements in the West and their backers and defenders that such acts would not go unnoticed in future. The West has been accusing Islam and its followers of extremism and terrorism but a series of sacrilegious acts that the world community witnessed over the past several years in some western countries confirms double standards of the West on the issue of extremism and terrorism. While criticizing others, some western governments and a section of their media defends nefarious acts of insulting religious personalities, books and symbols in the name of freedom of expression. A point has consistently been raised and not answered satisfactorily – you are entitled to your so-called freedoms but respect for freedom doesn’t mean you carry out attacks against faiths, beliefs and fundamental rights of others. What we have been witnessing in some Western countries for many years strengthens the perception that human rights are exclusive to the citizens of the West and those who subscribe to their culture and not for others. No doubt, Sweden’s Government has condemned the burning of a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque, calling it an “Islamophobic” act adding that burning of the Book, or any other holy text, is an offensive and disrespectful act and a clear provocation. Its Foreign Ministry statement also claimed that expressions of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in Sweden or in Europe but at the same time it justified the abhorring act by stating that Sweden has a “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration”. The position taken by the Swedish Government is unacceptable as the act of desecration took place right under the patronage of the local police that also granted formal permission for the provocative act and provided security to the perpetrator of the extreme hate crime. Muslims across the world have protested against the sacrilegious act but mere protests are not enough and much more will have to be done to uphold the respect and sanctity of their universal religion, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Book. It is also satisfying that as an umbrella platform of the Ummah, the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), this time, acted promptly to convene a meeting to consider a strategy against such acts. The 57-member body urged member states to “take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran”. It is in this backdrop that the Pakistan Parliament debated this and other Islamophobic actions urging the international community to take appropriate measures for promoting interfaith harmony to ensure that any act that hurts religious sentiments might never take place in the future. The joint sitting also urged that appropriate steps be taken by Swedish authorities against the perpetrator(s) but not limited to legal action. However, the pattern and intensity of Islamophobia should leave no doubt that all this is being done to malign our great religion and paint Muslims in black and, therefore, it is the responsibility of all Islamic countries to agree on a strategy to counter this campaign effectively individually as well as through the platform of the OIC. A recommendation made by the emergency meeting of OIC States Broadcasting Union (OSBU) deserves serious consideration by all member countries which calls on them to direct their cinematic, television, radio, journalistic and social media to present products to combat Islamophobia and insults against religious symbols, and to clarify and strengthen the tolerant principles of Islam calling for coexistence, tolerance and respect for the other and renouncing violence, intolerance and hatred.
