PM Imran urges Facebook chief to ban Islamophobic content

Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to impose a ban on Islamophobia and hate content against Islam which is causing “rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims” on social media platforms.

“I am writing to draw your attention to the growing Islamophobia that is encouraging hate, extremism and violence across the world and especially through the use of social media platforms including Facebook. I appreciate your taking the step to rightly ban any posting that criticises or questions the Holocaust, which was the culmination of the Nazi pogrom of the Jews in Germany and across Europe as Nazis spread across Europe,” PM Imran said in a letter wrote to Zuckerbeg on Sunday.

The premier also said a similar pogrom against Muslims in different parts of the world has been witnessed and added that in some states Muslims are being denied their citizenship rights and their democratic personal choices from dress to worship.

In India, anti-Muslim laws and measures such as CAA and NRC as well as targeted killings of Muslims and blaming Muslims for coronavirus are reflective of the abominable phenomenon of Islamophobia, he added.

In France, the premier said, Islam has been associated with terrorism and publication of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam and Holy Prophet (PBUH) has been allowed. “This will lead to further polarisation and marginalisation of Muslims in France. How will the French distinguish between radical extremist Muslim citizens and the mainstream Muslim citizenry of Islam?”

PM Imran said marginalisation of any community leads to extremism — “something the world does not need".

"Given the rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims on social media platforms, I would ask you to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that you have put in place for the Holocaust," the PM demanded the tech giant chief.

The premier maintained that the message of hate must be banned in totality, saying while hate messages against some are unacceptable, they cannot be allowed against others.

“Nor should the world have to wait for a pogrom against Muslims, which is ongoing in countries like India and in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, to be completed before Islamophobia is banned. This in itself is reflective of prejudice and bias that will encourage further radicalisation.”