Muslim world needs to eradicate extremism within itself: Zarif
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the Muslim world needs to eradicate extremism within itself and to confront those who propagate the hateful Takfiri ideology.
Zarif made the remarks while addressing an online meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
In today’s meeting, top-ranking officials of the OIC member states discussed Islamophobia in New York.
Zarif expressed concern about rising racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, extremsi, religious hatred, mounting intolerance towards Islamic thoughts and Muslim people throughout the world.
He said that many different media movements have been seeking to create a sense of fear of Muslims over the past few decades.
Now is the time for Western leaders to condemn hatred and violence against Muslims and to take steps to prevent violations of the basic human rights of Muslims, Zarif said.
It is necessary for the Muslim Ummah to take a unified stance against Islamophobia, the foreign minister added.
He also hailed Iran’s support for any initiative by the OIC to counter Islamophobia and particularly a move by the UN General Assembly to name March 15 as the World Day of the Fight Against Islamophobia.
Apart from the Muslim countries, a significant number of Western countries were also present in today’s OIC meeting which convened upon a call by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
END