US envoy called to lodge protest
22 September, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned US Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Richard Hoagland to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday and lodged a strong protest with him over the blasphemous video posted on YouTube. A statement from the Foreign Office termed the film "an attack on 1.5 billion Muslims and a pre-meditated and a malicious act to spread hatred and violence among people of different faiths". He was told that the US government should immediately take measures to remove the sacrilegious video from YouTube and take action against its maker. Hoagland was reminded that all faiths needed to promote inter-religious harmony and tolerance. "The intentional spread of hatred among faiths is an attack on humanity itself," the statement said. Hoagland reiterated the position of his government and that of the US leadership, saying that they strongly condemned the video. He said the video was disgusting and was an act of one aberrant individual. He said vast majority of American people had also condemned it. According to a statement by the US embassy, Hoagland said the US government had nothing to do with the controversial film. End.
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