“The United Arab Emirates and the Maldives together thwarted a Pakistani attempt to set up an informal group of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) envoys at the United Nations on Islamophobia.”
However, they did this not because they believe in the freedom of speech or reject the “Islamophobia” propaganda initiative, but because they believe that the OIC, not Pakistan alone, should set up such groups.
Whether or not this initiative ever gets off the ground, soon Pakistan and the OIC won’t have to worry about “Islamophobia,” i.e. criticism of Islamic jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women, in the West, because Western countries, including the United States, are busy throwing away the freedom of speech with both hands.
“Pakistani bid to form group of OIC envoys at UN foiled,” by Baqir Sajjad Syed, Dawn, May 27, 2020 (thanks to Lookmann):
ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates and the Maldives together thwarted a Pakistani attempt to set up an informal group of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) envoys at the United Nations on Islamophobia.
A senior diplomatic source told Dawn that Pakistan’s permanent representative at the United Nations Munir Akram highlighted the issue of Islamophobia at a recent virtual meeting of the envoys of OIC member countries at the UN.
It was a routine meeting of the envoys of OIC countries, which discussed other issues as well.
The Pakistan envoy specifically highlighted the plight of the Muslims in India and the people of occupied Kashmir, who are suffering at the hands of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
He told the meeting that Islamophobia in India had become more pronounced during the Covid-19 pandemic and recalled the actions taken by Modi government to change demography of occupied Kashmir by allowing non-Kashmiris to take up permanent residence in the valley.
Amb Akram cautioned the OIC members against being deceived by India.
He called for setting up of a group of OIC countries to consider joint actions for countering Islamophobia.
Maldivian envoy Thilmeeza Hussain, according to Maldivian media, rejected “singling out of India” and said accusing Delhi of Islamophobia would be factually incorrect and detrimental to religious harmony is South Asia.
The UAE envoy, who was chairing the meeting, meanwhile, rejected Pakistani request for an informal group on Islamophobia saying it was the mandate of the OIC foreign ministers to constitute such groups….