'The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Prague Group (OICPG)...expresses concerns over the amalgams of Islam with terrorism and the rising trend of Islamophobia in the Czech Republic in the wake of the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo and remarks made by Tomio Okamura, a Dawn member,' members of the group said in a statement cited by Prague Monitor.
The statement, signed by some 20 diplomats, has also condemned the 'brutal terrorist attacks' in Paris, in which 17 were killed.
Furthermore, they called for 'concerted global efforts and actions against terrorism and extremism to ensure the restoration of world peace.'
Earlier this month, Tomio Okamura, the head of the far-right Dawn of Direct Democracy party raised criticism after calling people to walk their pigs and dogs outside the country’s mosques.
The hateful comments included other suggestions, such as boycotting restaurants offering halal meals and Muslim-run stores, claiming that such purchase indirectly funded 'the expansion of Islam'.
The group warned that anti-Islam demonstrations, initiated in Germany by the Pegida movement, have been expanding across Europe as a manifestation of mounting Islamophobia.
On Friday, a Prague rally of about 600 people protested against Islam in the Czech Republic.
The demonstration was also attended by the opposition Dawn of Direct Democracy movement head and deputy head Tomio Okamura and Marek Cernoch, respectively, and opposition Civic Democrat (ODS) deputies' group deputy chairwoman Jana Cernochova.
'This is high time to fulfill our collective obligations to stop negative stereotyping and stigmatization against Islam, the increasing acts of Islamphobia, defamation of Islam, discrimination, combining Islam with violence and terrorism as well as the growing trend of intolerance and hatred towards Muslims,' the diplomats wrote.
The Czech Republic, which has a population of more than 10 million people, is home to around 15,000 Muslims.
In 2004, Prague acknowledged Islam as an official religion, giving Muslims rights on equal footing to Christians and Jews.
MR/1664
Tehran, Jan 21, IRNA -- Amid increasing anti-Muslim sentiments across Europe, representatives of Islamic countries in the Czech Republic have warned against rising Islamophobia in the country, following Paris attacks and anti-Muslim statements by far-right politicians.
