Letter: On cartoon contest

The Post (May 21) pointed out that the government of Pakistan took the decision to order the blocking of Facebook and YouTube after a court decision. The government’s action has to be understood that freedom of expression does not mean the right to assault or hurt religious sentiments of another community.

The measures were taken to calm the Muslim community, which considered the cartoon blasphemous, an outrageous attack on Islamic values and an outright attempt to damage interfaith harmony worldwide. Interestingly, the Christian community in Pakistan is equally outraged over this deliberate, slanderous attack on Islam.

We need to build trust, confidence and ambiance of enlightenment to frustrate those elements, who are sowing the seeds of religious bigotry, hatred and clash.

Pakistan is a moderate and progressive Islamic state. As a policy, it has been an active participant in interfaith dialogue/consultation within the UN system and beyond to promote harmonious relations among various religions.

Spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Office said that Pakistan had always raised its voice against such acts at international forums, including the UN, the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) and in our bilateral interactions with various countries.

As OIC coordinator on human rights issues, Pakistan has been presenting a resolution on combating defamation of religion in the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the United Nations General Assembly.

The purpose of this resolution is to counter the growing trend of tarnishing the image of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Pakistan calls upon the international community to address this issue, which is an extremely sensitive and emotional matter for Muslims across the world.  

Sanaullah
Ambassador
Embassy of Pakistan
Jakarta