Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13617 | 30 September 2014

Radicalism in Europe

Signatories: Ms Arpine HOVHANNISYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles ALLAVENA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Ismeta DERVOZ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Roel DESEYN, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Aleksandra DJUROVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Martin FRONC, Slovak Republic, EPP/CD ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Gordan JANDROKOVIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Naira KARAPETYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Rom KOSTŘICA, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr Frano MATUŠIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Edgar MAYER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Ms Marija OBRADOVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Biljana PANTIĆ PILJA, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Gabriela PECKOVÁ, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Kimmo SASI, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Andrej ŠIRCELJ, Slovenia, EPP/CD ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, EDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The war in the Middle East has been the center of the world’s attention for years now. Nowadays the situation has changed its amplitude. It has mutated into a movement of radical Islamism, no matter what way they call themselves, with thousands of European citizens joining the terrorist groups and even more of them supporting the movement by different means, including financial support to the terrorists. The number of Westerners who have become militarized and radicalized has surged in the past year from hundreds to as many as thousands, with the number increasing every day. This basically means that there are thousands of terrorists with a European citizenship, which infers free movement in Europe, with all its benefits and protection.

The unrestricted access to Syria is another matter of great concerns.

Nowadays, the radicals are using Internet as a space for propaganda and recruitment and deploy a shrewd, unfailing social media strategy of brainwashing that combines Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other networks. It has ceased to be merely a war on Syrian or Iraqi land; it is now also an information war, as Internet is a huge source of influence in the 21st century. Germans, French, Dutch are posting, twitting in their native languages, thus overcoming the language barrier, making the scope of the audience unprecedential.

We cannot say anymore that it is far from us and it is not our problem per se, as it is inside Europe already and the situation might become uncontrollable in the foreseen future.

The Parliamentary calls therefore for action to stop the increasing radicalisation of Europe, to raise awareness and fight the wave of ignorance and hatred and remind people of such basic human values as tolerance and respect.