Officially, Islamabad lodges protest with Washington
The US embassy confirmed Hoagland had a meeting at the Foreign Office to discuss the controversial video.
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.
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.