ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed has resigned from the Pakistan-France Parliamentary Friendship group in protest over French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on blasphemous caricatures.
In a letter to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, he said that such actions by the French president contributed and further reinvigorated Islamophobia in Europe as emphaised by Prime Minister Imran Khan in letters written to heads of Muslim states.
The prime minister had urged heads of Muslim states to “act collectively” and counter the growth of Islamophobia in non-Muslim countries, especially in European nations.
“Today, we are confronting a growing concern and restlessness amongst our Ummah as they see the rising tide of Islamophobia and attacks, through ridicule and mockery on our beloved Prophet (PBUH) in the Western world, especially Europe,” the premier maintained in the letter
Senator Faisal said, “Demonising Islam and blaspheming the holiest figures will further polarise the humanity and provide breeding grounds for the radical views.”
He said the practice needs to be stopped and banned through binding international legislation. The action of French president had the potential to do more harm to humanity than the Nazi ideology or racist tendencies, he added.
“In protest to the aforementioned action of the French, I would like to resign from the convenership of the parliamentary group.” He urged the Senate chairman to dissolve the Pakistan-France Parliamentary Friendship group, adding that a united response from our side is our religious and moral duty.
Anger has grown in the Muslim world over remarks by Macron in a row over blasphemous caricatures. The dispute has its roots in a knife attack outside a French school on October 16 in which a man beheaded a teacher who had shown pupils the blasphemous sketches.
