Turkey, OIC urge fight against Islamophobia, terrorism

Turkey's foreign minister and the head of an international Muslim bloc on Friday urged the world to wage a battle against Islamophobia, intolerance, racism, and terrorism.

"We call upon the whole world as a country that has built its foreign policy on human values and as president of the OIC summit," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told an emergency Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul. "Let's take a comprehensive look at hostility towards Islam, intolerance, racism and terrorism, and fight against them together."

Çavuşoğlu said Turkey appreciated the attitude of New Zealand's people and government in the aftermath of the terrorist attack and saying: "We hope that this attitude will set an example for the countries of the world and especially for the politicians in the countries where racism is increasing."

"We will support New Zealand's struggle against terrorism, extremism and anti-Islamism."

Last Friday, at least 50 Muslims were killed and as many injured when a terrorist entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand and shot worshippers in cold blood, including four children younger than 18.

Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, the OIC's secretary general, said that in the wake of last week's attacks, March 15 should become a day of international solidarity against Islamophobia.

Othaimeen said: "I would like to thank the government of New Zealand for its political, legal and humanitarian attitude after this terrorist attack. All of our member countries agree on this issue."

He underscored the "hidden danger" of the live broadcast of the massacre which requires an immediate action against it.

"We must act in common against hate speech," he said, and added: "We must be wary of the provocative language in the digital world. We must block negative messages that will mobilize large audiences."

Othaimeen said the attacks against women wearing headscarves in Europe "are fed by similar sources", referring to the hate speech in the digital world.