Zarif Urges Muslim Countries to Address Islamophobia

  Addressing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday, highlighted importance of uprooting extremism within the Islamic world. The OIC session was held in New York via videoconference to mark “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”. “It is imperative for the Islamic Ummah to unite against attempts at embracing Islamophobia, including through such measures as the Muslim travel ban, banning Muslim symbols and the abhorrent use of such ignorant terms as ‘Islamic terrorism,’” Zarif said. “Meanwhile, we must root out terrorism and extremism within the Islamic world. We need to take a unified and resolute stand against those who export hateful Takfiri ideologies,” he remarked, as quoted by Tasnim news agency. The top Iranian diplomat highlighted the OIC’s objectives in protecting the true image of Islam, promoting values of peaceful co-existence as well as encouraging interfaith and intercultural dialogue as an effective and valuable mechanism to combat all forms of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia, extremism and incitement to hatred based on religion. Zarif criticized the growing trend in intolerance and prejudice against Muslims across the world, in particular the West, which he said has become a hub for anti-Muslim media outlets, hate groups posing as think tanks and civic groups promoting a hostile and abusive environment against Muslims. “It is incumbent upon the international community to take more concrete measures to raise awareness at the global level on the need to counter Islamophobia, bigotry, and anti-Muslim hate crimes,” Zarif said. “In this connection, the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its strong support for OIC initiatives on tackling Islamophobia, in particular the designation of the 15th of March as an International Day to Combat Islamophobia by the UN General Assembly,” he added. Source: Iranian media