Al-Sudani: Iraq pushes for international collaboration to counter hate speech, extremism

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, on Monday met with Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), for talks over the hate speech trend directed toward Arab and Islamic societies.

According to a readout issued by his bureau, al-Sudani conveyed his gratitude to the OIC chief for heeding Iraq's call.

"We deeply appreciate the OIC's swift response to our invitation to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of Islamic nations," al-Sudani remarked, underscoring Iraq's unwavering commitment to protecting Islamic tenets and its religious values.

Laying emphasis on the need for robust mechanisms to counteract hate speech, al-Sudani spotlighted the Iraqi government's proactive measures: "We're in the process of drafting a comprehensive legislation to combat hate, which we aim to present at international forums."

The premier also accentuated the criticality of forging stronger ties among Islamic countries to combat extremist ideologies, particularly those targeting the youth.

"Iraq has endured years of extremism and terrorism. Our resilient citizens have risen above these challenges and consistently thwarted attempts aiming to inflame hate and violence," said al-Sudani.

Highlighting Iraq's role in bridging viewpoints among Islamic nations in the region, the premier expressed his belief in dialogue as the quintessential pathway to navigating shared challenges.

Al-Sudani called upon the international community to rally in support of Sudan, given its current exigencies.

Prime Minister al-Sudani confirmed that Iraq has reached an agreement to host a regional headquarters for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad.