PM Imran Khan welcomes Putin's remarks against blasphemy, Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has welcomed the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he said that blasphemy does not count as freedom of expression, ARY News reported on Friday.

PM Imran Khan said in a Twitter message, “I welcome President Putin’s statement which reaffirms my message that insulting our Holy Prophet PBUH is not ” freedom of expression”.”

He added, “We Muslims, especially the Muslim leaders, must spread this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world to counter Islamophobia.”

I welcome President Putin’s statement which reaffirms my message that insulting our Holy Prophet PBUH is not ” freedom of expression”. We Muslims, esp Muslim leaders, must spread this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world to counter Islamophobia. https://t.co/JUKKvRYBSx

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 24, 2021

It may be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had said in the annual news conference on Thursday that insulting Prophet Muhammad does not count as freedom of expression.

He said that such insults are a “violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam.”

Earlier in May, PM Imran Khan had called upon the Muslim world to evolve a joint strategy to effectively counter the growing Islamophobia.

While talking with the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, he had urged the international community to work together for interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence.

Highlighting the rise of Islamophobic incidents in different parts of the world, the prime minister had stressed the importance of a concerted response from the OIC.

It was noted that following the prime minister’s letter addressed to Heads of State of Muslim countries, the OIC Council of Foreign Minister (CFM) in Niamey had adopted a unanimous resolution on observing 15 March as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.