Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that hatred and prejudice against Muslims is a serious threat to global peace and harmony and has urged the international community to take joint and effective measures to counter this growing trend.
In his message on Sunday on the occasion of International Day to Combat Islamophobia, which is observed on March 15, the CM said anti-Muslim sentiments were contrary to the fundamental principles of humanity and undermined human rights and social harmony.
He emphasised that Muslims in different parts of the world were subjected to discrimination, hate speech and prejudice, the elimination of which was an urgent need. Shah said it was unjust to associate terrorism or extremism with any religion, nation or civilization. He stressed that the world should move beyond the ‘us and them’ mentality and actively promote mutual respect, tolerance and equality among all people.
He described Sindh as the land of Sufis, which had always supported love, tolerance and interfaith harmony. He affirmed that people of all religions had equal rights in Sindh and its land had been a champion of peace, tolerance and mutual respect. He added that the Sindh government categorically rejected the politics of hatred and prejudice.
He urged responsible political and social leadership and the media to promote tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect instead of spreading hostility. To effectively combat Islamophobia, the CM said global awareness, strong legislation and practical measures were indispensable. He called for concrete measures against hate speech and prejudice to help create a peaceful and just global society stating that a global dialogue on this issue was essential to foster trust between different faiths and cultures.
Reaffirming his administration’s stance on interfaith harmony, Shah affirmed that the Sindh government believed in religious freedom, human dignity and respect for all the religions. He concluded that the dream of a peaceful world could not be fulfilled without joint efforts by governments, media and the public.
