May 17, 2007
The "worst form of terrorism"
Hmmm, what could possibly be the worst form of terrorism? Slamming hijacked planes into buildings, killing thousands? Spreading hatred of unbelievers; capturing and beheading them? Declaring holy war on all unbelievers? Nope.
According to the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference decided
Islamophobia the worst form of terrorism and called for practical steps to counter it.
All agreed,
"It is something that has assumed xenophobic proportions," they said in unison.
"This campaign of calumny against Muslims resulted in the publication of the blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a Danish newspaper and the issuance of the inflammatory statement by Pope Benedict XVI," they said. During a speech in Germany last year, the Pope quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things. The Pope's remarks aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world.
"The increasingly negative political and media discourse targeting Muslims and Islam in the United States and Europe has made things all the more difficult," the foreign ministers said. "Islamophobia became a source of concern, especially after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but the phenomenon was already there in Western societies in one form or the other," they pointed out. "It gained further momentum after the Madrid and London bombings. The killing of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh in 2004 was used in a wicked manner by certain quarters to stir up a frenzy against Muslims," the ministers pointed out. Van Gogh had made a controversial film about Muslim culture.