PM Imran hails President Putin’s remarks against Islamophobia

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appreciated Russian President Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks against Islamophobia, saying that the latter’s statement reaffirmed his stance that “insulting our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not freedom of expression”.

“I welcome President Putin's statement which reaffirms my message that insulting our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not freedom of expression," the premier wrote on his official Twitter handle.

PM Imran also urged the leaders of the Muslim countries to spread this message to heads of non-Muslim nations to counter Islamophobia.

President Putin, while addressing his annual news conference on Thursday, had said that disrespecting Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not count as the “expression of artistic freedom”.

Read more: Disrespecting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is not freedom of expression: Putin

Blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a "violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam," he stated.

Putin said these acts give rise to extremist reprisals, citing as an example the attack on the editorial office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris after it published blasphemous sketches of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

“In some other countries, this respect comes in short supply,” he remarked.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has been urging the western world to respect sentiments of the Muslim communities while practicing ‘freedom of expression’ for the past many years.

In a recent interview to Al Jazeera, the Pakistani premier had said the Muslim leaders never portrayed real Islam before the West, particularly after 9/11. This made the Muslims in western countries face Islamophobia despite the fact terrorism had no relation with Islam, he said further.

He said “Imran Khan alone could not make any change”, rather the whole Muslim world must take a joint stance at forums such as the United Nations to make some difference.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also paid tribute to the Russian president, saying that his statement is vindication of the Muslim world’s stance that disrespecting Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not freedom of expression.