PM Imran Khan pens letter to Facebook CEO, urges him to ban Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan penned a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to ban Islamophobia just like the social media website has banned or questioned criticising the holocaust.

“My letter to CEO Facebook Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia just as Facebook has banned questioning or criticising the holocaust,” tweeted the prime minister. 

My letter to CEO Facebook Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia just as Facebook has banned questioning or criticising the holocaust. pic.twitter.com/mCMnz9kxcj

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 25, 2020

In the letter, PM Imran asked Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia as it is “encouraging hate, extremism and violence across the world and especially through the use of social media platforms including Facebook.”

The prime minister recognised that it was the right step by Facebook to ban questioning or criticising the holocaust, which was understandably a painful experience for the Jews. However, he urged the social media website to also follow its own example and impose a ban on Islamophobia as well.

“Unfortunately, in some states, Muslims are being denied their citizenship rights and their democratic personal choices from dress to worship. 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,” he added.

“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.

“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,” he added.