Cairo, Aug. 3 (Petra) -- The Second International Conference to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims opened Monday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo under the theme "Muslim Communities in the West and Their Role in Confronting Islamophobia," organized in cooperation with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).

The two-day conference is addressing several key themes, including the role of religious institutions and Islamic centers in promoting moderate religious discourse, national, regional and international best practices for countering hate speech, the role of educational institutions in spreading values of tolerance and acceptance of others, the role of civil society organizations in combating discrimination against Islam and Muslims, and empowering youth to help strengthen a culture of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

The conference also hosted the first meeting of the Permanent Multilateral Institutional Platform to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims, aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation mechanisms among regional and international institutions and turning recommendations from the first conference into practical programs and initiatives to help curb hate speech and promote dialogue and diversity.

The conference implements recommendations from the first International Conference to Combat Islamophobia and builds on Arab and Islamic efforts to confront the rise of Islamophobia, strengthen regional and international cooperation against all forms of religious hatred and discrimination, and reinforce a culture of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence.

Participants included representatives of governments, international, regional and national organizations, bodies focused on dialogue among civilizations and religious tolerance, and civil society and youth organizations, reflecting growing international interest in joint efforts to confront Islamophobia and reinforce understanding and respect among peoples and cultures.

//Petra// NQ