UN hears of Pakistan pledge to combat defamation of religion

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is committed to combating hate narratives and Islamophobia, the United Nations heard Thursday, following the prime minister’s plan to campaign for an international declaration against defamation of religion. 
Maleeha Lodhi made the remarks at a UN forum in New York, telling delegates that diversity was seen as a threat and that Prime Minister Imran Khan had pledged to counter Islamophobia.
“Hate narratives are spreading in several parts of the world; Islamophobia is on the rise and diversity is being seen not as a source of enrichment but as a threat; and politics of fear seem to be replacing politics of hope,” Lodhi said, according to a government handout.
Khan had urged the promotion of tolerance at a conference earlier this week.
He said his government had helped persuade Dutch authorities to cancel a cartoon contest organized by far-right MP Geert Wilders. 
The competition, which the Islamist political group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan claimed was blasphemous, triggered protests and demands for the country to sever ties with the Netherlands. 
Lodhi, who is Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, called for greater respect for religious beliefs, symbols and revered personalities.
Pakistan believed that the values of peace, tolerance, egalitarianism and respect for humanity were shared by all religions, she said. 
“This common heritage should enable the world to draw strength from its diversity rather than allowing it to be used as justification to accentuate differences.
“Together we need to encourage states to take steps to create an environment of religious tolerance, inclusiveness and respect. The complex task of peace-building can only be accomplished when we collectively build on a common vision of a peaceful world, and adopt an inclusive approach to promote better understanding,” Lodhi told the meeting.