Indonesia calls for united fight against Islamophobia

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Indonesia on Tuesday called for the need to “strongly” combat and prevent Islamophobia, saying it is ready to cooperate with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the fight against it.

During a meeting in the capital Jakarta with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Masrudi “stressed the need to firmly and strongly combat and prevent Islamophobia and reiterated the readiness of Indonesia to work closely with the OIC,” said a statement by the group.

She highlighted Indonesia’s endeavor to aid people in war-torn Afghanistan and “provided guidance on how to support Afghanistan within the OIC better,” said the statement.

On Palestine, Masrudi reiterated Indonesia’s “full support to the Palestinians and insisted on the leading role to be played by the OIC to restore peace in Palestine and respect its population’s rights.”

When the OIC chief also met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday, the president affirmed his country’s “full support for the OIC and its endeavors and its appreciated efforts in service of the Islamic world and its people.”

The Indonesian president praised “the OIC’s efforts and initiatives in dealing with the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia and the crimes of burning copies of al-Mushaf ash-Sharif, stressing the need to support these efforts to address this phenomenon,” said the statement.