Azerbaijani FM: Unfortunately, Islamophobia on rise in several countries

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stressed the need to combat defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred.

Islamophobia which is regretfully on the rise in a number of countries around the world has inflicted heavy emotional and psychological cost on millions of Muslims, Mammadyarov said at the 38th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation- OIC (former Organization of the Islamic Conference), the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.

"Serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, and attacks against Islam in some countries in recent years confirm the need to combat defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred," he said.

Mammadyarov said the defamation of a religion under the guise of freedom of expression is a new and contemporary form of discrimination and intolerance.

"As civilized societies, we must exercise our freedom with care and within the parameters of internationally accepted norms," he stated. "We strongly support the OIC's efforts aimed at exploring the possibility of evolving a binding international framework to prevent the defamation of all religions."


/Trend/