by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the
Commission
(24 September
2001)
Subject: Measures to protect EU Muslims from racist violence
|
|
Answer given by
Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission |
In the extraordinary meeting
of the European Council of 21 September 2001 which was convened to analyse the
international situation following the terrorist attacks in the United States
and to impart the necessary impetus to the actions of the European Union, it
was underlined that the European Union categorically rejects any equation of
groups of fanatical terrorists with the Arab and Muslim world. The Commission
fully shares this view.
The Commission deplores all
racist and xenophobic violence. The Commission is extremely concerned about the
increase in racist attacks against Muslims and people of Arabic and Southern
Asian origin in a number of EU countries, following the recent terrorist
atrocities in the United States.
The Community action programme
to combat discrimination, is aimed at promoting measures to combat any direct or indirect, single
or multiple discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs,
disability, age or sexual orientation. Within the limits of the Community's
powers, the programme supports and supplements the efforts made at Community
level and in the Member States to encourage measures to prevent and combat
discrimination. One of its objectives is to promote and disseminate the values
and practices underlying the combating of discrimination, including by means
of awareness-raising activities. The Commission will be exploring with the
Member States the possibilities for using the programme to support national
initiatives to prevent the stigmatisation of certain ethnic and religious
groups.
Responsibility for monitoring
racist and xenophobic incidents rests with the European Monitoring Centre on
Racism and Xenophobia based in Vienna. Action taken by the Commission has
consisted of close liaison with the Monitoring Centre concerning a request to
focus specifically on any apparent increase in racism and xenophobia in the
wake of the attacks and, where possible, to identify good practices to try to
limit any side-effects.