Gul warns of rising racism, discrimination in Europe

Speaking to European lawmakers in Strasbourg, President Abdullah Gul yesterday warned about the growing pessimism in Europe as well as rising manifestations of intolerance and discrimination in many European societies. "Let us not forget that popular support for explicit anti-Semitism in the late 1920s was only 5 percent," he told deputies from the 47 nations represented in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). "With the snowball effect, this poisonous minority paved the way for the Holocaust in the late 1930s. If we don't learn from our past mistakes, history can repeat itself." He added, "Over the past few years, our member states have been affected by weakening social ties. Radicalization and widening gaps between different religious, ethnic and cultural communities started to harm the social fabric of our nations … We must retain confidence in the ability of our democratic institutions to promote human rights, tolerance, dialogue and social cohesion. We need to develop a democratic framework for living together." In an address to the winter session of PACE, the largest and most important European watchdog overseeing human rights, the rule of law and democracy on the continent, Gul said the Council of Europe has done and continues to do much to promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between peoples of different origin, culture and faith living in Europe. "The CoE has the duty to address and counter these new challenges," he added. Gul cited racism and xenophobia as major causes of concern in connection with the current economic crisis. "Roma and travelers, Muslims or Jews, and, more generally, those who are different, face hostility and social exclusion in many of our societies," he said, criticizing governments' tough lines on immigration. "There is a growing voter support for political parties that paint immigration as the main cause of insecurity, unemployment, crime, poverty and social problems." He added, "We should work hard to defeat these problems to reassert Europe on the global scene." Recalling the terror attacks in New York, Madrid, Istanbul and London, Gul argued that European Muslims have perhaps been more affected than others by these trends. He said Muslims in Europe are very diverse not only in their geographical origins and cultural heritage, but also in their ways of interpreting and practicing their faith. "It is a misperception to view these diverse communities as a unitary one defined by religion. This is fundamentally at odds with European values," he said. Gul stressed that the perpetrators of these crimes have nothing to do with Islam. "One should also bear in mind that those terrorist organizations are attacking many Muslim targets, too," he added. "They do not have achievable political objectives, but rather pursue archaic and illicit utopian ideas." Gul made the point that Islam, like all other religions, teaches tolerance and respect for people of all faiths. "It is the abuse of faith for political purposes that lead to intolerance and exclusion," he added. He said there is a "silent revolution" going on in Turkey towards further democratization, while admitting that shortcomings remain. "We have confidence that we will overcome those," he added.