Lahore: August 3, 2009. (PCP) Minister for Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini expressed his profound indignation and firm condemnation of the violence against Christians in Pakistan. “These actions”, Frattini said, “are serious and unjustifiable assaults against human rights and especially against the right to religious freedom”. “This sort of violent cruelty”, he added, “negates the principles of peaceful co-existence, dialogue and inter-religious tolerance, principles that Italy considers universal and, as such, to be respected always and in any case by peoples and nations, without exception”. Former Vice President of the European Commission, Minister Frattini has often spoken out in defence of religious freedom and against religious discrimination, particularly in the cases of violence against Christian minorities in the State of Orissa in India, in Mosul in Iraq and in Somalia. “Italy”, the minister concluded, “will appeal to the Presidency of the European Union in the coming days to the effect that the EU launch a political initiative in defence of freedom of worship and inter-religious dialogue in September, at the opening of the next UN General Assembly”. The Secretary General of the OIC, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, in a statement today, deplored the violent incident in the town of Gojra, Pakistan in which seven people of the minority Christian community were killed and 18 left injured as well as burning down of houses and a place of worship. Ihsanoglu said that the violent attacks were contrary to the principle of tolerance in Islam and those involved were undermining and tarnishing the image of Islam which preaches protection of minority population belonging to other faiths. Ihsanoglu said that that the alleged report of desecration of the holy Quran by three individuals that incited the violence, if factual, was to be condemned but violent reprisal could not be condoned. The OIC Secretary General expressed his confidence that the concerned authorities in Pakistan would take all necessary measures to bring the violence to an immediate end and restore peace and security in the affected area. He also called on the community leaders to play a responsible role to ensure communal peace and harmony.