Pakistan

Nisar urges West to stop spread of Islamophobia

Interior minister held meetings with Theresa May and British National Security Adviser in London

Web Desk February 24, 2015

Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday met with his British counterpart Theresa May at the Home Office in London. PHOTO: FILE

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan called on the West to stop the spread of Islamophobia during a meeting with his British counterpart Theresa May at the Home Office in London.

A press release issued on Tuesday added that the Nisar also urged the West to "halt the conscious and concerted plan of certain vested interests to vilify and demonize the great religion of Islam."

"Democracy and freedom of speech does in no way give a license to anybody to humiliate Muslims, distort their religious beliefs and make jest of their religious personalities," Nisar said.

The interior minister added that the war against extremism can only be won through global unity and those spreading Islamophobia are the biggest divisive factors in bringing the international community together.

Speaking about the Washington summit, Nisar said that it has been a huge success and called for its resolutions to now be implemented.

Read: Meeting with Kerry: Quantum leap in trust between US, Pakistan, say Nisar

May assured the interior minister that the UK attaches great significance to its relationship with Pakistan and assured they would do everything to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Meeting with British National Security adviser

The interior minister also met with British National Security Adviser Sir Kim Darroch and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest in both the bilateral and regional context.

They expressed satisfaction over the upward trajectory of Pakistan-UK relations and agreed to continue the momentum of cooperation in a wide range of areas with particular focus on security cooperation.

Nisar underscored the UK’s importance in bringing the East and West together in the fight against extremism.

He called for a stronger and more aggressive global response against elements targeting and humiliating Islam. Sharing Pakistan’s comprehensive strategy to defeat extremism and terrorism, the Minister apprised the National Security Adviser about the national consensus evolved in the shape of National Action Plan and the progress it has made thus far, a press release stated.

Read: Countering extremism: Nisar unveils five-point plan at US summit

Commending Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism, Sir Darroch assured continued cooperation from the British government. He appreciated the resolve of the Pakistani government and the people of Pakistan to deal with terrorism in a comprehensive manner.

COMMENTS (8)

Ash | 9 years ago | Reply @AVMPolpot, Sir just so you know that Ms. Theresa May is not some pretty face, she is one of the most powerful women in the British Government and is penned to be running for the position of future PM of the country. Your pointless post highlights why our country cannot develop beyond a certain mindset, in the words of Mohammed Ali Jonnah: "There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women."

Raj - USA | 9 years ago | Reply @GKA: As you rightly said: "Islamophobia means fear of islam." However, I would say "Islamophobia" is seen and felt more in the muslim countries than in the West. 99.9% of the muslims are killed by none other than muslims themselves and that too within their own muslim countries. I will give you one very simple example. Every year during Muharram all cell phone services are blocked in Pakistan. Why is it so? Because muslims fear that muslims will kill them by remotely controlled bombs or suicide bombers. Contract this with observance of Muharram in India which has an equal, if not more muslims in its population. Cell phone services are not blocked in India in Muharram. In India sunnis and shias do not kill each other. in another news in ET today, we read of the abduction of Hazara shia muslims. http://tribune.com.pk/story/843380/gunmen-abduct-30-shia-muslims-in-afghanistan/ Most of victims of ISIS are muslims living in muslim countries. ISIS kills both shias and sunnis alike. They kill non-muslims also. IS released a video recently showing captured Kurdish peshmerga fighters paraded through Iraqi streets in cages. http://tribune.com.pk/story/842503/new-is-video-shows-kurdish-fighters-in-cages/ These captives of IS are also muslims. Muslims often claim and boast of 1.6 billion muslim population in the world. Is it true? No. Reason: 400 million of those muslims are considered non muslims. They are hated and killed by the remaining 1.2 billion muslims and within this 1.2 billion muslims there are at least 72 sects each calling other non-muslim, hating them and killing them. These 72 sects are growing more and more in numbers each day and the numbers in each sect is falling down each passing day. So, I would say Islam is the fastest declining religion in the world and the population of muslims is the fastest decreasing in the world.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

woody | 9 years ago | Reply @Salim jan:

Western military intervention in the Muslim world gave birth to extremist ideology

Yeah right --- the West is responsible for the Sunni/Shia dispute, decapitation of Egyptian Christians, persecution of minorities etc. Blaming Muslim extremism on the West is popular but dead wrong. This is a Muslim issue where the perpetrators are always Muslims and the vast majority of victims are Muslims. it's time for Muslims to quit blaming the West and take responsibility for Muslim extremism - better yet - fix it.

GKA | 9 years ago | Reply @Salim jan: Everyone has to take responsibility of thier actions. If west has to take responsibility then so has the Muslim world. It is not one sides

Salim jan | 9 years ago | Reply It is America and the west at large which has destabilized and sown the seeds of terrorism and extremism in the Muslim.Western military intervention in the Muslim world gave birth to extremist ideology.Religious and secular extremism are destroying the peace of world.

Karachi Voice | 9 years ago | Reply The suggestion to West by Choudhary Nisar must be taken seriously by those who matters. Its not Islam to be blamed its Islamabad which must be scrutinized.

GKA | 9 years ago | Reply Islamophobia means fear of islam. People in the west are scared of islam. They are scared of the ISIS videos. They are scared of the suicide bombers. More so because they see that each one of these are back by large organizations (ISIS, Al-Qaeda), by national governments (Taliban when it was in power in Afrghanistan, ISI) and claim a religious backing (Wahabi, Salafi groups). So west is indeed perturbed and is responding. Asking west not to respond is irrational. The muslim world needs to respond. Why is it that west is sending bombers to Iraq - why not Pakistan send its F16s. Why not Iranian and Pakistani troops to fight ISIS.

AVMPolpot | 9 years ago | Reply Wow COAS meets Cameron and Interior Minister only some pretty face ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If I were him I would never travel to UK.

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