Imran Khan writes to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia

Prime Minister Imran Khan has written an official letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia on the platform.

Dated October 25, the letter highlights that growing Islamophobia is “encouraging hate, extremism and violence across the world, and especially through the use of social media platforms including Facebook”.

My letter to CEO Facebook Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobia just as Facebook has banned questioning or criticising the holocaust. pic.twitter.com/mCMnz9kxcj

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 25, 2020

The premier noted that Facebook has taken the step to “rightly” ban posts that criticise or question the veracity of the Holocaust.

“However, today we are seeing a similar pogrom against Muslims in different parts of the world,” he said. “Unfortunately, in some states, Muslims are being denied their citizenship rights and their democratic personal choices from dress to worship.”

In India, anti-Muslim laws and measures such as the CAA and NRC as well as targeted killings of Muslims and blaming Muslims for the coronavirus are reflective of the abominable phenomenon of Islamophobia, he wrote.

The premier also mentioned how Islam has been associated with terrorism in France and the publication of a cartoon about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has been allowed. PM Khan recently accused French President Emmanuel Macron of attacking Islam in a series of tweets posted on Sunday.

“This will lead to further polarization and marginalization of Muslims in France,” he contended. “How will the French distinguish between radical and extremist Muslim citizens and the mainstream Muslim citizenry of Islam? We have seen how marginalization inevitably leads to extremism—something the world does not need.”

He asked Zuckerberg to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that he has put in place for the Holocaust, given the rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims on social media.

“The message of hate must be banned in total—one cannot send a message that while hate messages are unacceptable, these are acceptable against others. Nor should the world have to wait for a pogrom against Muslims, which is ongoing in countries like India and in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, to be completed before Islamophobia is banned.”

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