VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Malaysian government is deeply concerned about the increasingly open hostility towards Muslims and condemns rhetoric that incites provocative actions that tarnish the good name of Islam.

"We strongly condemn the inciting rhetoric and provocative actions that seek to tarnish the good name of Islam as witnessed by the world recently in the form of populist speeches and the publication of blasphemous caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad," said Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Seri Hishamuddin Hussein in his statement in Putrajaya, Wednesday.

Malaysia is committed to upholding freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental human right as long as these rights are exercised with respect and responsibility so as not to violate or violate the rights of others.

"In this context, to humiliate and tarnish the Holy Prophet of Islam and associate Islam with terrorism is outside those rights," he said, adding that such actions are provocative and disrespectful to Islam and over two billion Muslims worldwide.

"As a democratic and moderate Islamic country with a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, Malaysia continues to promote and maintain harmonious relations and peaceful coexistence, not only among our people of different religions and beliefs but also in a global context that diverse communities," he said.

Malaysia will continue to work with the international community to promote mutual respect between religions and prevent religious extremism at all levels.

Earlier, the opposition leader who is also PKR president Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim said the statement by French President Emmanuel Macron that Islam is facing a world crisis is attacking because it makes little sense.

"This promotes a deadlock. It makes 'problems' only Muslim matters from a destructive perspective embedded in French doctrine. There is no defense for violence and murder, which is a misguided killer monster that misleads Islam," he said.

He also expressed his condolences to Samuel Paty for all the victims.

Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan asked his compatriots to stop buying French goods on Monday in the latest expression of anger in the Muslim world over images being displayed in France of the Prophet Mohammad, which some Muslims consider blasphemous.
In Bangladesh on Monday, protesters held placards with a caricature of French President Emmanuel Macron and the words: “Macron is the enemy of peace”, while Pakistan’s parliament passed a resolution urging the government to recall its envoy from Paris.

Erdogan, who has a history of fraught relations with Macron, said France was pursuing an anti-Islam agenda.

“I am calling to all my citizens from here to never help French brands or buy them,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president has made similar boycott calls in the past, including an appeal not to buy U.S. electronic goods in 2018 that was not followed through.

Erdogan on Monday joined a chorus of voices calling for a boycott. In Kuwait city, a supermarket had stripped its shelves of L’Oreal cosmetics and skincare products after the cooperative union to which it belongs decided to stop stocking French goods.

In Saudi Arabia, calls for a boycott of French supermarket chain Carrefour were trending on social media, though two stores Reuters visited in the Saudi capital on Monday seemed as busy as normal. A company representative in France said it had yet to feel any impact.

France is a major exporter of grain to mainly-Muslim North Africa, and French companies in the autos and retail sector also have significant exposure to majority-Muslim countries

French Trade Minister Franck Riester said it was too early to put a figure on the impact of the boycott campaign but so far it was limited and mainly affected French agricultural exports. (Reuters)

As part of series of events being held in commemoration of the “Kashmir Black Day” (observed on 27 October every year), the Embassy of Pakistan held a Seminar on Monday in the Chancery, on the Topic “Jammu & Kashmir Dispute-Past, Present, and Future".

The event was held while complying with the SOPs of the Indonesian Government.

The Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy, Mr. Jamal Nasir delivered a detailed presentation covering the introduction of Pakistan’s History, Geography, Strategic location, and Regional Dynamics.

He discussed various issues faced by the world including the rising wave of Islamophobia, US-China trade war, Covid-19 Crisis, Great powers contestation in the Indo-Pacific Region, Unrest in the Middle East, Afghan Peace Deal, and India’s hegemonic posture in the South Asian region with special reference to the recent problems created by India with its neighbors, including Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Subsequently, Mr. Nasir highlighted the importance and history of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute and the significance of Kashmir Black Day. He described in detail, the ongoing wave of intolerance and state-sponsored repression against minorities (especially Muslims) in India with special reference to the plight of the Muslims of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

Quoting the recent illegal attempts aimed towards changing the demography of IIOJK by the Indian Government, Mr. Nasir conveyed Pakistan’s strong rejection of these illegal acts and expressed the resolve of the Government of Pakistan to fight the case of Jammu & Kashmir at all forums.

He also spoke about the targeted hatred and discrimination against Muslims in India by the Modi Government such as the Babri Mosque verdict, the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC), and lynching of Muslims by the cow vigilantes.

Mr. Nasir also covered various other aspects of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute including gross Human Rights Violations, Sexual abuse and violence against women and Children, Hindutva ideology of the RSS inspired Modi Government, the non-implementation of the UNSC resolutions by India, and Pakistan’s desire to resolve all issues with India, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, through dialogue, in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.

Later on, Drs. Nur Munir, The Head of Islamic and Middle Eastern Research Centre Jakarta, Mr. Abu Aly, the Head of Inter-Agencies Relation of UIN, Dr. Zahir Khan, former Indonesian Ambassador, and the current Head of Kashmir Solidarity Forum also spoke at the occasion.

The Seminar was attended by academics, scholars, intellectuals, researchers, members of political and religious organizations, and students. (VOI)

South Korea urged citizens to get vaccinated against influenza and reduce the chances of an outbreak that coincides with the battle on the coronavirus, as it kicked off free inoculations for the last eligible group.

Public anxiety over the safety of flu vaccines has surged after at least 48 people died this month following vaccinations, while, last month, about 5 million doses had to be disposed of after not being stored at recommended temperatures.

Authorities have said they found no direct link between the deaths and the flu shots and have sought to reassure South Koreans about the safety of the vaccines against flu, a disease that kills at least 3,000 each year.

“Vaccination offers far greater benefits compared to side effects, and both the WHO and domestic and overseas experts agree,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing on Sunday, in a reference to the World Health Organization.

Last year, more than 1,500 elderly people died within seven days of receiving flu vaccines, but those deaths were not linked to the vaccinations, the government said.

As South Korea presses on with its inoculations, southeast Asia’s tiny city-state of Singapore became one of the first nations this week to call a temporary halt to the use of two influenza vaccines, as a precaution.

Singapore has reported no deaths linked to flu vaccinations.

South Korea ordered 20% more flu vaccines this year to ward off the prospect of what it calls a “twindemic” of concurrent major flu and coronavirus outbreaks in winter.

At least 1,154 instances of adverse reactions have been reported from among more than 9.4 million people inoculated since the effort began in September. (Reuters)