Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

A statement issued by the European External Affairs Department in Brussels last night said that on 14-15 March 2024, in the presence of coordinators, special representatives, envoys and ambassadors, the Committee to Combat Hatred and Discrimination against Muslims met for the first time to discuss a global increase in reports of hatred against Muslims. This two-day meeting was held in Strasbourg, on the occasion of the International Day to Combat Hatred against Muslims, a meeting hosted by the Council of Europe and the European Commission.

This meeting was a follow-up to the “Joint Statement of Coordinators, Special Representatives, Envoys and Ambassadors on Combating Anti-Muslim Hatred and Discrimination” dated 29 November 2023.
Participants gathered against the backdrop of a global rise in anti-Muslim hate online. Dehumanizing language, polarization, and misinformation have reached an alarming level around the world with widespread discriminatory and racist rhetoric against Muslims and others.
Groups continue to report threats, violence, harassment, intimidation and vandalism against them, religious spaces and community centres. Discrimination, racism, and hatred towards it have had a horrific impact on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in civil space and on the Internet.
The meeting served as a reminder of the need to prevent and confront extremism and radicalism in all its forms, including violent extremism that targets Muslims and others.
The participants expressed their solidarity with those who feel discriminated against and reaffirmed that anti-Muslim hatred, like all other forms of hatred and racism, constitutes a threat to our society and other pluralistic and democratic societies. Hatred against Muslims endangers societal cohesion
Inclusion and a whole-of-society approach are essential to combat it.
International instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of the United Nations and the Conventions on the Protection against Discrimination, the European Convention on Human Rights
and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union are crucial to protecting against all forms of racism and discrimination in our countries.
The participants concluded the following:
• Civil society, education and media play a major role. No effort should be spared in strengthening and supporting our educational systems to educate the younger generations
To live together in democratic societies based on our common values.
• The intersecting dimension of hatred and discrimination against Muslims perpetuates it
For several reasons such as religion, national or ethnic origin, and gender.
1 Participants in the meeting represented the following countries and organizations: Armenia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Council of Europe, European Commission, Croatia, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North
Macedonia, Norway, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States
United Kingdom, United Nations, United States of America
• Muslim women and girls are particularly at risk of violence, exclusion from education,
Employment, sports and culture, while they can be powerful factors for inclusion and mutual respect.
• Discrimination, hatred and racism against Muslims, Jews, Palestinians and Israelis
It is particularly vivid and fueled by current events in the Middle East.
• Every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and should not be subjected to any discrimination, hostility or violence because of their religion.
• There is a need for more international cooperation and coordination in combating all these diseases and forms of hatred and discrimination against Muslims.
The coordination meeting demonstrated the determination of our governments and international organizations to combat anti-Muslim hatred in our societies and the world