Google's Sundar Pichai calls for 'tolerance', extends support to Muslims
Mumbai: A couple of days after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg extended his support towards Muslims all around the globe, Google CEO Sundar Pichai also decided to step forward and do the same, as he posted a detailed letter on popular blogging site, Medium.
Both the tech leaders commented on the issue of increasing intolerance towards other religious and minority groups in the US after Republican presidential front-runner proposed a ban on Muslim immigrants entering US. Trump had caused international outrage earlier this week when he called for "a total and complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the US.
In his letter, Pichai said, “Let’s not let fear defeat our values. We must support Muslim and other minority communities in the US and around the world.”
He said that he came to the US from India 22 years ago and has felt as much a part of this country, as he felt while growing up in India.
Pointing out the defining characteristics of US, he said that the country has always been known as an open-minded, tolerant and liberal place for immigrants to realise their dreams. “America, after all, was and is a country of immigrants.”
“That is why it’s so disheartening to see the intolerant discourse playing out in the news these days?—?statements that our country would be a better place without the voices, ideas and the contributions of certain groups of people, based solely on where they come from, or their religion,” he added.
Even at Google, he has been constantly associated with a vibrant mix of races and cultures. He said, “Every one of those people have a different voice … a different perspective … a different story to tell. All of that makes our company an exciting and special place to be, and allows us to do great things together.”
“We are urgently working to become much more diverse, because it’s so important to our future success. I firmly believe that whether you’re building a company or leading a country, a diverse mix of voices and backgrounds and experiences leads to better discussions, better decisions, and better outcomes for everyone,” he added.
Realising the need to speak out against the issue, he said that lately there has been an increasing intolerance, which is 'giving more oxygen to this debate' and thinks everyone should stand up against it.
“Everyone has the right to their views, but it’s also important that those who are less represented know that those are not the views of all,” Pichai added.
