Muslim nations' envoy discuss online blasphemy against Islam

Envoys of 21 Muslim countries met here to discuss blasphemous contents against Islam on social media and decided to adopt a joint strategy to counter it.
Pakistan's interior minister Nisar Ali Khan hosted a meeting of envoys to thrash a policy to counter online anti-Islam materials, according to statement by the Interior Ministry.
"There was unanimity among the participants that the entire Muslim Ummah is united to protect the sanctity and dignity of the religion and Holy prophet," it said.
It was decided that a comprehensive strategy paper encompassing all legal and technical aspects would be circulated by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs among the ambassadors of the Muslim countries which they would be sharing with their governments to evolve future plan of action.

It was also decided that a formal reference would be sent to Secretary General of the Arab League raising the issue of blasphemous content on social media and how such a tendency had been hurting the sentiments of the Muslims across the world.
The meeting decided that after response is received from the government of the Islamic countries, the matter then would be taken up at the level of UN besides looking into legal options available to follow-up the matter legally in the courts of the respective countries from where such content was being generated.

Addressing the Ambassadors, the Interior Minister pointed out that distortion of religious beliefs and sacrilege of holy personalities of any religion is intolerable.

He said that no law permits showing disrespect or distortion of any religion.
Khan said that it was unfortunate that the Muslim being the biggest victims of terrorism were being portrayed as the perpetrators.
He said that the Islamic Ummah must strive together to impress upon the international community to shed off Islamophobia.
The Minister said that distortion of any religion is also another form of terrorism that the international community must acknowledge.
The Interior Minister said that sections of the western world must get out of double standards about Islam and the Muslims.
"On one hand, they have laws against any kind of distortion or disrespect towards any religion and on the other hand, the most revered personalities of Islam are being ridiculed," he said.

The meeting has one-point agenda to discuss blasphemous content on social media and to effectively raise voice of the entire Muslim world against it.