The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has recently intensified its efforts to combat the rising tide of Islamophobia globally. During the United Nations General Assembly’s observance of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, speaking on behalf of the OIC, urged the international community to take decisive action against the increasing incidents of anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, and intolerance.
Ambassador Akram emphasized the need for a collective effort to promote peace, justice, tolerance, and compassion, values inherent in Islam and all religions. He highlighted that Islamophobia is not confined to a specific region but is resurging both in the West and the East. The manifestations of this issue include acts of desecration of Islamic sacred symbols, defamation of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and suppression of Muslim identity, such as hijab bans
In a related development, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called on the OIC to take decisive action against Islamophobia. During a meeting with OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Prime Minister Anwar underscored the importance of addressing the unreasonable and extreme stance of hatred towards Muslims, advocating for international readiness to tackle this issue
The OIC has also responded to recent incidents, such as the defilement of the Quran in Sweden, by calling for international law and collective measures to prevent future occurrences of religious hatred. The organization emphasized the urgent application of international law to prohibit any advocacy of religious hatred.
