JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation鈥檚 Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) has said it is appalled by the 鈥渉orrific鈥� bomb and gun assault on a mosque in Egypt鈥檚 north Sinai on Friday.
It also attacked the mass media in deploring the 鈥渘egative stereotyping鈥� of Islam and Muslims. In the attack on Al-Rawdah Mosque, condemned by the commission as 鈥渙ne of the deadliest attacks in Egypt鈥檚 modern history,鈥� at least 300 people were killed and 128 injured.
鈥淚PHRC unreservedly condemns this dastardly act of terrorism and extends its heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Egypt in general and grieved families in particular,鈥� it said in a statement.
鈥淔ashionable as it has become, every time an act of terror occurs, we see Islam and Muslims are being negatively stereotyped in the mass media and (by) far-right groups,鈥� the statement said.
鈥淗owever, this attack, which is one of the numerous being carried out daily against Muslims in an Islamic country, illustrates how Muslims continue to suffer from the double jeopardy of being themselves the victims of the terrorist attacks and simultaneously the targets of Islamophobic acts fomented by slanted media reporting and statements of the political demagogues.鈥�
The IPHRC reiterated its view that such barbaric attacks by any group professing deviant ideologies have no sanction in the religion of Islam, which forbids terrorism and the targeting of innocent civilians under any circumstances.
It urged the Egypt government and the international community to continue to take all measures to effectively combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
While condemning these 鈥渄espicable inhuman acts of cowardice,鈥� IPHRC also urged the international community and Muslims all over the world to 鈥渃ommit to the values of pluralism and tolerance, which remains the best defense against those who are committed to turning communities against each other.鈥�
The commission also stressed the need to highlight the message that a 鈥渃lash of civilizations鈥� is not between religions and races but between 鈥渢hose who stand for hate and divisiveness on the one hand, and those who stand for mutual respect and peaceful co-existence, on the other.鈥�