MUSLIMS are subjected to hate speech the most, Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said.
“Hate speech should never be confused with freedom of opinion,” Erdogan said on Wednesday at a high-level event on combating hate speech, hosted by Turkey and Pakistan on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Today, Muslims are the most subjected to hate speech, cultural racism, discrimination and insults. Muslims’ workplaces, homes, worshipping places are targeted by racist and fascist groups almost every day,” said the president.
He said Muslim women are harassed for wearing headscarves on the street and workplaces.
“As a country which has 6.5 million citizens abroad who are impacted by hate speech and attacks, we cannot overlook this issue,” he added.
Erdogan noted that hate speech is normalised by populist politicians and media and cannot be considered within the freedom of opinion.
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He also denounced violence against Muslims in India who eat beef and urged respect for freedom of faith.
“In India, how will we defend Muslim youth who are being whipped, beaten by machetes and even sentenced to death just for eating beef?” Erdogan said.
Cows are considered sacred in the Hindu religion and there has been a rise in attacks on Muslim cattle owners by Hindu nationalists, with several self-styled cow protection groups emerging.
Turning to the situation in Kashmir, he said it had turned into an open-air prison and its residents had become prisoners.
“Important duties fall on all [foreign] state institutions,” said Erdogan, and urged more active steps on regional and international levels.
Reacting to attacks on Islam, the president said linking Islam, a religion of peace, with terror is an immoral slander. It is unacceptable, he said.
“We will continue to pioneer all efforts to actively fight against Islamophobia, racism and hate speech,” he added.