ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday called on the international community to take urgent steps to curb Islamophobia.

He said this in a telephone call with Foreign Minister of Canada Marc Garneau on the murder of four Muslims of Pakistani origin in London, Ontario, in an Islamophobic attack. “The Islamophobic attack is a matter of serious concern and has caused anguish among the Muslims worldwide,” Mr Qureshi said.

The foreign minister further urged the intentional community to show a common resolve against the rising trend of Islamophobia and promote peaceful coexistence and interfaith harmony.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while condemning the incident, had earlier described it as an act of terrorism.

During the conversation with Mr Garneau, Mr Qureshi lauded condemnation of the incident by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who termed the attack as Islamophobic. He hoped that the perpetrator of the crime would be brought to justice.

“The two foreign ministers agreed to work together on countering Islamophobia through coordinated efforts at various international fora and agreed to instruct their countries’ permanent representatives in New York to work together in this regard,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021