ISLAMABAD: The government summoned a senior US diplomat in Islamabad on Friday to lodge a “strong protest” against the US-made anti-Islam film.
Charge d’affaires Richard Hoagland was called in by the foreign ministry in compliance with directives issued by Premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during the last meeting of the federal cabinet.
According to an official statement released by the Foreign Office, “Ambassador Richard Hoagland was clearly told that the US government should immediately take measures to remove the sacrilegious video from YouTube and take action against its author.”
Hoagland was also told that “the film amounted to an attack on 1.5 billion Muslims and a premeditated and a malicious act to spread hatred and violence among people of different faiths”.
“He was reminded that all faiths need to promote inter-religious harmony and tolerance. The intentional spread of hatred among faiths is an attack on humanity itself,” the statement added.
The US embassy confirmed Hoagland had a meeting at the Foreign Office to discuss the controversial video.
The video “was disgusting and was the act of one aberrant individual,” Hoagland was quoted as saying.
Hoagland reiterated the US government’s condemnation of the video and that the administration had nothing to do with its production, according to the embassy statement.
Hoagland further said that the vast majority of Americans have also condemned it. “This act was a deeply insensitive decision by a single individual to disseminate hatred. It does not reflect the values of the US, a nation of more than 300 million people, built upon the pillars of religious freedom and tolerance.”
He also extended his appreciation to the government of Pakistan for its commitment to protect the facilities and personnel of diplomatic missions.
Ambassador Hoagland also echoed a call to the nation by the prime minister and other government officials to remain calm and express their views peacefully. (ADDITIONAL INPUT BY AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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@Observer no pick n choose.
@abdul:
"make no distinction between who committed these acts and those who harbor them"
Are you talking about Osama bin Laden and the Mumbai massacre perpetrators?
It is great that Pakistani govt. has told the US govt. ( through their ambassador in Pakistan )to remove the sacrilegious video from you tube and also take action against its author.( is it a request or demand can be guessed). You can not impose your wish on another country.( US officials and also majority of the countrymen have already condemned the distasteful video but blasphemy is not illegal in USA and action can not be taken against the movie maker.) All such actions reflects the mindsets of Pakistanis to judge every matter by their own yardstick and try to impose the same on others and naturally built the image accordingly.
Instead of protest and destroying our own country we should boycott the products of the countries indirectly promoting the Hate Speech in the name of so called Freedom of Speech and it is a most civilized and peaceful protest people can do.
make no distinction between who committed these acts and those who harbor them
Why is Pakistan interfering in the internal business of America?
If America tells Pakistan what to do in Waziristan, or Balochistan or with its laws will Pakistan tolerate it?
You want yourself to be heard but do not care about other's concerns?
is sad to see Muslims waste so much of valuable time, energy and effort for such useless destruction and rioting on such useless subjects. How a religion which is followed by every 5th. man on the earth can be threatened by useless cartoons or films by some lunatics. And see property of worth billions has been destroyed by Muslims. Sad very sad.