Pakistan conveys concern over blasphemy in France

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan had conveyed its concern to the government of France over republishing of blasphemous caricatures by a Paris-based magazine.

“Pakistan believes in freedom of expression, however such liberty does not mean to have a license to hurt religious sentiments of others,” the Foreign Minister said in a video message, in response to the growing trend of Islamophobia world over.

French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo had recently announced to republish the offensive caricatures of Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him), which had received immense ire from the Muslims.

“I strongly condemn the French magazine Charlie Hebdo on my own behalf and on behalf of the government of Pakistan. The blasphemous sketches have hurt the feelings of millions of Muslims,” he said.

He said the concern had been conveyed to the Ambassador of France in Pakistan and expressed hope that such blasphemous act would not be repeated and the involved persons would be brought to justice.

Qureshi said the unjustified act deserved utmost condemnation and pointed that the world was witnessing an increasing trend of Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia.

He mentioned that Pakistan raised the issue of Islamophobia at every international forum and recalled Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address at the United Nations General Assembly last year where he urged upon the world to address this problem.

“At international level, we must sit down and think about how to stop such tendencies that hurt the religious feelings of others. We expect the international community to address this issue immediately,” he said.