Jeddah, October 19, 2020, SPA -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the international community to take effective concrete measures to promote a culture of tolerance, understanding and mutual respect, build trust among peoples to protect individuals and societies from hatred and violence, and ensure the protection of places of worship. The OIC, during its participation in the inaugural session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities, which was virtually organized by the United Nations today, expressed its concern about the escalation of hate speech, intolerance and Islamophobia in social media, which targets Muslim communities and minorities, calling for the need to address the root causes of the spread of this scourge in various societies and countries. --SPA 19:29 LOCAL TIME 16:29 GMT 0019 www.spa.gov.sa/w1432022