‘Religion has nothing to do with terrorism,’ says PM Imran at UN conference on hate speech

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday emphasised that religion has no link to terrorism and that it is “marginalisation of communities [that] leads to radicalisation”.
Pakistan and Turkey co-hosted a round table discussion on hate speech, a side event in the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The prime minister along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressed the conference, which also featured a Key Note address by High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) Miguel Ángel Moratinos. In his remarks, the premier noted the growing amount of “discrimination and violence based on religion and belief”, a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office said.
To this end, he called upon the need for addressing “both the drivers and consequences of these phenomena”.
PM Imran also cautioned against the denigration of revered personalities under the guise of “freedom of expression and opinion”.“The world must understand Muslim sensitivities for Islam and the reverence for Prophet Muhammad PBUH,” he said. He underscored the need for effective measures to be put in place so that hate speech, especially that which stems from Islamophobia, can be countered. ”Marginalisation of any community leads to radicalisation,” the PMO statement quoted the premier as saying.