Mon 20 September 2021:
Anti-Muslim hatred and xenophobia, which disrupt the daily lives of Muslims, have taken politics hostage in the West, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sunday.
Erdoğan noted that both ideologies have been shaping state policies and have become destructive trends that pose a direct threat to social peace.
Erdoğan arrived in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly’s 76th session Tuesday, where world leaders will give their annual speeches.
Before his address, the president Erdoğan briefly visited the soon-to-open Türkevi Center located at 821 First Avenue in Manhattan across from U.N. headquarters.
“We are fighting against a deadlier and sneakier virus. This virus, which is as dangerous as the coronavirus, is called Islamophobia,” Erdoğan said at the “A Fairer World Is Possible” conference organized by the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) in New York City.
“This virus is spreading very quickly in countries that have been portrayed as cradles of democracy and freedom for years,” he said.
Noting that Islamophobia and Daesh terrorism share a common ideological fanaticism, Erdoğan said many countries have normalized otherizing Muslims based on their names, clothes or appearance. He said the Muslim community in the United States has especially been targeted in the post-9/11-era, but they have successfully responded to the hatred through legitimate and democratic means.
“You’ve overcome all attempts against weakening Muslims by embracing your unity and fraternity,” Erdoğan said, as he praised the stance of Muslims in the U.S. in difficult times.
Erdoğan noted that Turkey has taken a leading role against Islamophobia on international platforms, while he called on the Muslims in the U.S. to contribute more in the fight against racism and hate speech with their experience.
The president cited the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the U.N., among others, where Turkey has been working on efforts against Islamophobia.
“We are (also) backing every kind of effort to eliminate all threats to our religion and our Muslim brothers,” the president added.
_____________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
