European Parliament Debates Stereotyped Islam

By Ahmad Maher, IOL Staff

CAIRO, June 7, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The European Parliament (EP) holds Wednesday, June 8, a debate on the much-stereotyped Islam and rising Islamophobia.

“We aim to raise the issue of Islam within Europe and start to debate the key role Islam can play,” British MEP Sajjad H. Karim told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, June 7, by phone from Strasbourg.

The “Islam in Europe: New Enemy or Old Friend” debate is initiated by Karim and fellow British MEP Sarah Ludford, both vice-presidents of the EP’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup.

Karim said that the initiative wants to get across the message that there is a “prejudiced view” against Islam in Europe.

He stressed it is worrisome that this view “is being institutionalized in the EU through legislation.”

Karim, a Liberal Democrat MEP for North West England, said the debate was expected to be attended by a large number of the 732 MEPs.

“We have contributions from a wide spectrum from MEPs,” he said.

Chaired by MEP Claude Moraes, the EP’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup is an official all-party group tackling anti-discrimination on race, religion and ethnicity, along with issues of equality in culture and the media.

It groups key ethnic minority MEPs elected for the first time to the EP in 2004.

"Eroded Liberties"

Pakistani-born Karim said the Wednesday's debate focuses on the conditions of Muslim minorities in Europe in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

“It will tackle the way in which many EU governments eroded basic civil liberties within their countries and how this affected European citizens,” he said.

Karim, who was named one of the High Flyers of British politics by The Times newspaper in its “Who's Who” 2005, expected it to be a “good debate” about the root causes of terrorism and how it is “linked entirely” to the Muslim faith.

“This approach is an inaccurate reflection of the real threat that is from extremists from different backgrounds threatening the basic liberal values of Europe such as tolerance, human rights and civil liberties,” he added.

Karim, a father of two, has been an outspoken critic of the British government's notorious anti-terror legislation.

“The current government came to power after promising so much to the British people and secured an almost block vote from the Muslim communities. It is now that very community that is being targeted by the biased and discriminatory legislation that Tony Blair's' government has introduced,” he said on his Web site.

The EU launched a drive against terrorism after the 9/11 attacks and stepped it up after the Madrid train bombings 14 months ago.

Muslim minorities have taken the brunt of the anti-terror measures, which include predawn raids and stop-and-search campaigns, for no reason other than being Muslims.

Last month, Europe’s main rights and democracy watchdog, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), expressed concern at increasing Dutch intolerance towards Muslims and the “climate of fear” under which the minority was living.

A recent report by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) also said that Muslim minorities across Europe have been experiencing growing distrust, hostility and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks.

Unprecedented

Karim, who since his election last year has been working tirelessly to give voice to the ethnic minority communities in his constituency, said it is the first time for his Intergroup to hold such a debate on stereotyped Islam in the EP.

He said the debate will not result in any sort of recommendations, declarations or draft resolutions.

“We will just give our feedback of this session, in our parliamentary capacity, to the Intergroup”.

The debate comes hard on the heels of an attempt by European Muslim activists to have a binding EP resolution obliging countries like France to lift a ban on hijab in state-run schools and institutions.

Though they failed to collect the minimum 336 signatures needed, the activists saw the campaign a “success” after receiving support from 70 MEPs.