Deeds and stances of religious intolerance have multiplied across the world. This has materialized in deliberate attacks and aggressions against private properties, places of worship, and religious symbols of various creeds and sects.
In this context, the Islamic group was the most targeted, especially those who live in the West, where the phenomenon of Islamophobia has a worrisome dimension, following the intensification of prejudiced distortion campaign, the least we can about it is that it is unfair for mixing up between Islam and terrorism.
The horrifying massacre of innocent Muslims, at prayer time, in mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, has come to alert us to the increasing magnitude of Islamophobia operations and intolerance in the ranks of racist and anti-Muslim movements, which, regrettably, keep growing at an alarming tempo, whether in Europe, America, Asia, or the Pacific Ocean region.
Xenophobia and political popularism of the extremist right groups are new phenomenon that gravely endanger peaceful co-existence and harmony among peoples, and also between nations.
Since 9/11, 2001 events in the USA, condemned World Wide, Islamophobia has spiraled among people of bad intensions, as well as intellectuals and leaders of popularist movements who hastened to stigmatize Islam and Muslims.
These groups have succeeded, in some circles, to blemish the reputation of Islam communities, believers of this true religion, being the religion of peace, and tolerance, the faith which established a civilization that brought, though centries, benefaction to the entire humanity.
The crisis of migration and increasing unemployment in the West, at the background of growing poverty, are all excuses offered to justify sentiments of animosity towards foreigners who are victimized because of belonging to Islam.
In the face of these phenomenon which endanger peace, harmony, understanding and international security, it is necessary, rather urgently, to mobilize the international community in order to take measures and set up mechanisms to combat Islamophobia, and religious intolerance, in general.
The United Nations, the European Council, the OIC as well as other international organizations have ratified several resolutions in this respect. We congratulate them on this.
However, it is incumbent on us, from an educational approach, to enhance the mobilization, so that each group will realize that it cannot live in safety and stability at the expense of the freedom and rights of others.
Respecting the values and customs of others constitutes the essential basis of a world community reflecting cultural and religious diversity as well as socio-economic cohesion.
The National Assembly of Senegal salutes and encourages the commitment of the PUIC to confront Islamophobia, which is apt to serve humanity and support peace.
All PUIC Parliaments are called upon to contribute, amid uniting efforts and solidarity, in this campaign, in the name of the great values of our true Islamic religion which advocates tolerance and love.