Pakistan urges Facebook to ban Islamophobic content

Islamabad, Oct 26 (efe-epa).- The prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobic content on the social networking site, warning that these posts would only serve to radicalize Muslims.

“Given the rampant abuse and vilification of Muslims on social media platforms, I would ask you to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that you have put in place for the Holocaust,” Khan wrote to Zuckerberg, according to an announcement by the Pakistani authorities late Sunday.

The prime minister underlined that hateful content should be banned in its entirety on social networks.

“The message of hate must be banned in total – one cannot send a message that while hate messages against some are unacceptable, these are acceptable against others,” he affirmed.

Khan gave the example of France, where, in his view, Islam has been associated with terrorism and the publication of “blasphemous cartoons” of Prophet Muhammad has been allowed.

“In France, Islam has been associated with terrorism and publication of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has been allowed. This will lead to further polarization and marginalization of Muslims in France,” he warned.

A little earlier, Khan had accused French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter of attacking and hurting “the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe & across the world” by encouraging the publication of the cartoons.

Last week, Macron announced a series of measures to tackle radical Islam following th decapitation of a teacher on Oct. 16 by a young Chechen extremist for showing his students the controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class on freedom of expression.

On Oct. 12, Facebook announced that it will ban content that denies or distorts the Holocaust, in response to what it considered an increase in anti-Semitism. EFE-EPA

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