Tunisia urges OIC to take responsibility for Palestinians and challenge Islamophobia

Tunisia’s minister of foreign affairs called on Tuesday for an end to Israel’s daily violations against the Palestinian people, Anadolu has reported. Othman Jerandi also urged governments and citizens in the Muslim world to use social media to challenge the discourse of “discrimination, hatred and Islamophobia.”

Jerandi made his comments during his speech on behalf of the Arab Group at the 48th regular session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad.

“It is necessary to assume responsibility for the Palestinian people in order to put an end to the daily Israeli violations of their rights, attacks on the sanctity of holy places, and the settlement policies that aim to impose a fait accompli,” explained the Tunisian official.

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He also urged OIC members to use preventive mechanisms and adopt comprehensive approaches to confront terrorism and violent extremism, and their related transcontinental organised crime such as illegal immigration and human trafficking. “We need to use social media to counter the discourse of discrimination, hatred, Islamophobia, disdain for religion and intolerance, while promoting the discourse of tolerance and acceptance of the other.”

Partnerships with Arab and Islamic financial institutions are essential, he added, in the face of the exceptional challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has severe economic consequences for the rest of the world. Russia is one of the main suppliers of oil and gas, while both Russia and Ukraine are among the main suppliers of crops such as wheat. The crisis prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to warn yesterday of the possibility of “global hunger”.