PM urges West to penalise those spreading hate against Muslims

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday called upon the Western governments to penalise those “deliberately spreading their message of hate” against Muslims by using the same standards with which they had outlawed any negative comments about the Holocaust.

The Prime Minister, on his Twitter handle, also demanded an apology from those “extreme right politicians” who, under the garb of freedom of speech had hurt 1.3 billion Muslims by their blasphemous acts against the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

“I also call on Western govts who have outlawed any negative comment on the Holocaust to use the same standards to penalise those deliberately spreading their message of hate against Muslims by abusing (blaspheming against) our (Holy) Prophet PBUH,” the Prime Minister posted.

“Those in the West, incl (including) extreme right politicians, who deliberately indulge in such abuse and hate under guise of freedom of speech clearly lack moral sense and courage to apologise to the 1.3 bn Muslims for causing this hurt. We demand an apology from these extremists,” he further posted.

The Prime Minister also made it clear that the government took action against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which is now a banned organisation, under anti-terrorist laws when it challenged the writ of the state as no one could be above the law.

“Let me make clear to people here and abroad: Our govt only took action against TLP under our anti-terrorist law when they challenged the writ of the state and used street violence and attacking the public and law enforcers. No one can be above the law and the Constitution,” he said in a follow-up tweet.

Special representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East, Tahir Ashrafi praised Prime Minister Khan for “representing the inner feelings” of the Muslim Ummah on incidents of Islamophobia.

In a statement, he urged the world, including the European Union, to realise that the sanctity and honour of holy Prophet (PBUH) is dearer to Muslims than their lives. The Pakistani nation, he said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Khan was striving to combat the menace of Islamophobia.