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Resolution 1605 (2008)
European Muslim communities confronted with extremism
1. The attacks in Paris in 1995, New
York in 2001, the subsequent spate of bombings which hit Madrid
and Istanbul in 2003 and London in 2005, and the foiling of many
other terrorist plots on European soil have shown the extent and
gravity of the threat of terrorism from people who invoke Islamic
fundamentalism as a source of inspiration. In addition to the shock
caused by the attacks, it has been disconcerting for many to realise
that some young Muslims who were born and brought up in Europe had
been involved in their organisation and execution.
2. The Parliamentary Assembly warns against any confusion between
Islam as a faith and Islamic fundamentalism as an ideology. Islam
is the second religion in Europe and a constituent component of European
societies. In some Council of Europe member states, it is traditionally
the religion professed by the majority of the population; in others,
it is the religion of the majority of immigrants and of citizens
with an immigrant background, who represent a growing proportion
of the population. On the other hand, Islamic fundamentalism is
an extremist ideology with a political agenda, which promotes a
model of society which is not compatible with human rights values
and standards of democracy, and which, in its worst form, calls
for the use of violence to achieve its aims.
3. It is regrettable but undeniable that, at the moment, Islamic
fundamentalism as an ideology has proved to have a power of attraction
for some individuals. European governments and European Muslim communities should
work in close collaboration and synergy to neutralise this power
of attraction and prevent it from escalating into terrorism.
4. The Assembly congratulates those Muslim leaders, opinion-makers
and organisations who have firmly and unequivocally condemned terrorism
inspired by Islamic fundamentalism as well as other extremist manifestations,
such as the hate speech employed by some official or self-appointed
imams or other Muslim personalities. Similarly, the Assembly commends
the efforts of Muslim organisations to highlight the compatibility
between Islam as a religion and democratic and human rights values,
as well as their work with groups that are more at risk of radicalisation,
such as young people and prison detainees.
5. In parallel to these efforts, European governments bear a
special responsibility to address the root causes which create a
fertile ground for extremism, such as poverty, discrimination and
social exclusion; to ensure full respect for the freedoms of thought,
speech and religion, as laid down in the European Convention on
Human Rights (ETS No. 5); and to contribute to a climate in which
all religious faiths, or the absence of any faith, are equally respected.
In this regard, Council of Europe member states should continue
to be vigilant in their work to prevent and combat the phenomenon
of Islamophobia.
6. Moreover, Council of Europe member states should take a range
of positive steps to enable immigrants and citizens of immigrant
descent, including Muslim communities, to integrate into society
through non-discriminatory access to employment, education, vocational
training, housing and public services. The engagement and active
participation of immigrants and people with an immigrant background
in society also need encouragement and support from the whole of
society, which must do more to accommodate diversity and remove
barriers to integration.
7. Likewise, as already recommended by the Assembly, European
governments, in their aim of creating a citizenship of inclusiveness
and participation, should remedy the current limited capacity of
immigrants and citizens from an immigrant background to play an
active role in public and political life. In the long term, this state
of affairs, which is due both to legislative and social constraints,
cannot but reinforce the grievances and sense of injustice of a
part of the population.
8. The Assembly welcomes the initiative taken by the governments
of two member states – Spain and Turkey – to create the United Nations
Alliance of Civilizations and its endorsement by the United Nations Secretary-General,
who has designated former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio as
its High Representative. The Assembly also expresses support for
the activities so far undertaken in this context.
9. In light of the above, the Assembly calls on the member states
of the Council of Europe to:
9.1. act
strongly against discrimination in all areas;
9.2. condemn and combat Islamophobia;
9.3. act resolutely against hate speech and all other forms
of behaviour which run counter to core human rights and democratic
values, even when their authors seek to justify them on religious
grounds;
9.4. combat all forms of discrimination and violence (particularly
forced marriages, sexual mutilation of women and so-called “honour
crimes”) which, in the name of misinterpreted religious texts or
customs, violate the fundamental rights of women and equality between
women and men;
9.5. combat all forms of cultural or religious relativism which
justify discriminatory practices and human rights violations, particularly
those directed at women or other groups in society;
9.6. ensure the strictest compliance with human rights and
the rule of law in the enforcement of antiterrorist measures;
9.7. promote the social cohesion, integration, political and
civic participation of immigrants and citizens with an immigrant
background, both men and women, in particular by:
9.7.1. taking a range of positive steps
to enable immigrants and people with an immigrant background to
integrate into society through fair and non-discriminatory access
to employment, education, vocational training, housing in mixed
areas and public services, and eventually via democratic participation
through citizenship;
9.7.2. developing specific activities to encourage integration
and tolerance among young people;
9.7.3. signing and ratifying the European Convention on the Legal
Status of Migrant Workers (ETS No. 93);
9.7.4. granting lawfully-residing immigrants the right to vote
and to be elected, at least in local and regional elections, so
as to have an impact on public administration and local government;
9.7.5. signing and ratifying the Convention on the Participation
of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level (ETS No. 144);
9.7.6. encouraging the participation of people with an immigrant
background in political parties, trade unions and non-governmental
organisations;
9.7.7. taking all the necessary measures to eliminate the inequality
of opportunity faced by immigrants, including unemployment and inadequate
education;
9.7.8. removing unnecessary legal or administrative obstacles
to the construction of a sufficient number of appropriate places
of worship for the practice of Islam;
9.7.9. ensuring that school textbooks do not portray Islam as
a hostile or threatening religion;
9.8. promote and support activities intended to improve the
standing and role of Muslim women in Europe and overcome stereotypes
confining them to subordinate and passive roles, for example, through
appropriate teaching in schools and awareness-raising campaigns
in the media;
9.9. monitor the role played by foreign states in the financing
of mosques and appointment of imams, in order to ensure that these
actions are not used to promote extremist views;
9.10. support the establishment of courses, if possible at university
level, to train imams locally;
9.11. encourage a public and inclusive debate concerning the
consequences of their foreign policy on the phenomenon of radicalisation;
9.12. encourage informative projects about Islam’s contribution
to western societies in order to overcome stereotypes on Islam.
10. The Assembly calls on leaders and opinion-makers to act responsibly
to avoid encouraging discrimination and Islamophobia.
11. Furthermore, the Assembly calls on European Muslim organisations,
leaders and opinion-makers to:
11.1. act
with a high sense of responsibility in their public statements and
condemn terrorism and extremism unequivocally, being aware of their
influence on Muslim communities;
11.2. encourage Muslims to fully participate in society without
questioning the secular character of the society and the institutions
of the country where they live;
11.3. formally endorse the European Convention on Human Rights;
11.4. promote the transmission of core European values within
Muslim communities, and among young people in particular, by highlighting
their compatibility with the Muslim faith;
11.5. ensure the teaching of core European values in Muslim
faith schools;
11.6. encourage young European Muslims to become imams;
11.7. set up projects aimed at reducing the risk of radicalisation
among the young generation and in prisons, if appropriate in co-operation
with other organisations, or with local or other authorities;
11.8. encourage the promotion of fair coverage of Muslim reality
and views in the media and ensure that the voice of moderate Muslims
is also reported;
11.9. develop ethical guidelines to combat Islamophobia in the
media and in favour of cultural tolerance and understanding, in
co-operation with appropriate media organisations;
11.10. encourage the development of a secular intelligentsia.