PM writes a letter to Facebook CEO, demands immediate ban on Islamophobia content

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and demanded immediate ban on Islamophobia content.

According to the letter, such content on the social media, including Facebook, is fomenting hate, extremism and violence.

"Unluckily, the Muslims have no rights in some counties. In some states, the Muslims are stopped from worship, selection of dresses and citizenship rights," he maintained. "Hate, extremism and violence are being encouraged."

He said: "I appreciate your taking the step to rightly ban any posting that criticizes or questions the Holocaust, which was the culmination of the Nazi pogrom of the Jews in Germany and across Europe as Nazis spread across Europe. However, today we are seeing a similar pogrom against Muslims in different parts of the world. Unfortunately, in some states, Muslims are being denied their citizenship rights and their democratic personal choices from dress to worship".

PM Imran Khan said that in India, anti-Muslim laws and measures such as CAA and NRC as well as targeted killings of Muslims and blaming Muslims for Corona virus are reflective of the abominable phenomenon of Islamophobia. "In France, Islam has been associated with terrorism and publication of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has been allowed. This will lead to further polarization and marginalization of Muslims in France. How will the French distinguish between radical extremist Muslim citizens and the mainstream Muslim citizenry of Islam? We have seen how marginalization inevitably leads to extremism — something the world does not need."

He said: "Given the rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims on social media platforms, I would ask you to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that you have put in place for the Holocaust. The message of hate must be banned in total — one cannot send a message that while hate messages against some are unacceptable, these are acceptable against others. Nor should the world have to wait for a pogrom against Muslims, which is ongoing in countries like India and in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, to be completed before Islamophobia is banned. This in itself is reflective of prejudice and bias that will encourage further radicalization."