Erdoğan: Islamophobia spreads throughout Western countries like plague

Erdoğan stated in his message to the 2nd International Media and Islamophobia Forum that “Islamophobia continues to spread, especially in Western countries, poisoning all segments of society, from ordinary citizens to politicians, workers to public officials, much like a never-ending plague epidemic.”

The 2nd International Media and Islamophobia Forum, organized by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Erciyes University, and Ankara Science University, and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Directorate of Communications, started at the ATO Congresium.

Erdoğan congratulated the institutions that pioneered the program's organization in a message to the forum; he also expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the program's content with their thoughts, observations, comments, and recommendations.

Emphasizing that he is pleased to see that the forum, which was held successfully last year despite difficult pandemic conditions, continues on its way this year with more inclusive and broader participation, Erdoğan said: “Islamophobia continues to spread, especially in Western countries, poisoning all segments of society, from ordinary citizens to politicians, workers to public officials, much like a never-ending plague epidemic.”

Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “The atmosphere of hatred fostered by irresponsible media also negatively affects Muslims as well as millions of people with different languages, religions, origins, and cultures. The embarrassing discussions surrounding the Ukraine crisis reveal the dangerous dimensions of Islamophobia and cultural racism. We never condone discrimination between the oppressed and the victims as members of a civilization that views the human being as the noblest of creation and lives by the motto “let the people live, so the state lives.” We believe that the fight against rising animosity towards Islam is not only a matter of Muslims but of all humanity. Otherwise, the Islamophobic assaults in New Zealand in 2019 and Canada in 2021 would be unavoidable.”

Emphasizing that, along with Western politicians, media outlets and state institutions, the most significant responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Islamic world and institutions in this regard, Erdoğan said: “Muslims must react strongly, demand their rights on legitimate grounds, and fight against this injustice, unlawfulness, and discrimination, which targets hundreds of millions of people along with them. I regard the 2nd International Media Forum as a valuable step in this line”. (ILKHA)