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Recommendation 1831 (2008)
European Muslim communities confronted with extremism
1. Referring to its Resolution 1605 (2008) on European Muslim communities confronted with extremism, the
Parliamentary Assembly expresses its support to Council of Europe
activities in the field of intercultural dialogue and its religious
dimension, which make a remarkable contribution to the mutual understanding
and peaceful coexistence of different groups in European societies.
In this regard, the Assembly welcomes the forthcoming publication
of a Council of Europe white paper on intercultural dialogue.
2. In addition, being aware of the global dimension of the issues
at stake, the Assembly welcomes the recent letter of intent concerning
the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations Alliance
of Civilizations, and encourages further co-operation and the organisation
of joint initiatives.
3. Furthermore, the Assembly recalls the activities of the European
Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and in particular
its General Policy Recommendation No. 5 on combating intolerance and discrimination against Muslims
(2000).
4. In light of these considerations, the Assembly recommends
the Committee of Ministers to:
4.1. consider
the activities in the field of intercultural dialogue and its religious
dimension as a priority, and allocate appropriate resources for
them so as to ensure that they are properly carried out and publicised;
4.2. support and allocate appropriate resources for activities
in the field of integration of immigrants and persons with an immigrant
background, including specific activities for encouraging integration
and tolerance among young people;
4.3. further to the letter of intent signed by the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe and the High Representative for
the Alliance of Civilizations, support the conclusion of a memorandum
of understanding between the Council of Europe and the Alliance
of Civilizations;
4.4. increase co-operation in the field of intercultural and
inter-religious dialogue with the United Nations and its specialised
agencies, the European Union, and in particular the institutions
of the Barcelona Process, the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference;
4.5. invite ECRI and the Council of Europe Commissioner for
Human Rights to conduct specific research on the situation of Muslim
communities in Europe, including examples of good practice of co-operation
between Muslim organisations and the authorities in combating extremism
both within Muslim communities and originating from Muslim communities.