Istanbul event to discuss Islamaphobia

Turkey's city of Istanbul is set to host a wide array of academics and journalists for a conference on Islamaphobia on September 12 and 13, it was announced on Tuesday. Speakers will address the role of the media and international law in limiting or putting a stop to the negative phenomenon of Islamaphobia and human rights, and means in which governments could come together with the media to face these challenges, according to Turkey's Ihlas news agency. Other issues like democracy and cultural diversity will also be addressed in their relation to the phenomenon. The event is being jointly organized by the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Turkish Prime Minister's Office, and is amidst efforts by the OIC's media office to clarify the image of Islam in the West. The announcement follows a recent incident on Saturday in which a pregnant Muslim woman donning the headscarf was taken to hospital after being attacked in Sweden. The woman was also shouted at and insulted racially for wearing the headscarf, with the move sparking a major outcry from Swedish women condemning the assault on social networking websites.