Racism rising in Europe - report

Racism and religious intolerance are rising in Europe, with Muslims and Jews targeted in a misguided backlash against global terrorism and Middle East violence, delegates at an international conference said.

Hostility toward Muslims has increased markedly over the past three years, one report said. Another found resurgent anti-Semitism had created a climate of intimidation.

“The situation is getting worse, not better,” warned Bashy Quraishy, chairman of the European Network Against Racism. “There have been a lot of beautiful words, but we want to know what the politicians are going to do.”

Officials from more than 50 nations, religious leaders and over 130 non-governmental organisations received a grim picture at yesterday’s conference in Brussels.

Although campaign groups complained about the lack of government statistics on hate crimes, they said there was overwhelming evidence to show violence and intolerance are on the rise.

“I’m here to launch a cry of alarm … anti-Semitism is back, the monster is among us again,” said Cobi Benatoff, president of the European Jewish Committee.

A new report found widespread hostility toward Muslims in Europe, with verbal and physical attacks as well as discrimination in employment and housing showing marked increases after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US and the Madrid train bombings on March 11.

The report, from the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, found that the views on terrorism have led to increased antagonism toward the 15 million-plus Muslims in the EU sparking attacks “ranging from slurs and insults in the street to vandalism and serious physical violence".

Turkey’s representative appealed for governments and the media to avoid linking Muslims with extremism and terrorism.

“I regretfully notice a repeated tendency to equate violence and terrorism with a religion, namely Islam,” said ambassador Omur Orrin. “Fighting most forcefully everything and anything associated with terrorism must not turn into a blind Muslim bashing.”

Aside from prominent attacks on Jewish cemeteries, schools and synagogues, resurgent anti-Semitism has led to ”hundreds of attacks on ordinary people that go largely unreported and a climate of intimidation and fear in which the possibility of attack terrorises whole communities,” said a report by the New York-based Human Rights First.

The group’s executive director, Michael Posner, said violence against Jews was coming both from neo-Nazi groups and from Arab immigrant youths responding to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While attacks on Jews and Muslims have grabbed headlines, campaigners said racism in Europe was much wider, from Gypsies facing discrimination in housing and jobs in Eastern Europe to asylum seekers beaten “for sport” in Scotland.

Campaigners presented European governments with a wish list of measures to fight racism including

:: A common European definition of hate crimes and the adoption of specific hate crime legislation by all countries.

:: Increased monitoring and dissemination of data on racism and hate crimes.

:: The appointment of a high official at European level to co-ordinate anti-racism policies.

:: Improved training of law enforcement officials to ensure better implementation of anti-racism legislation.

:: More resources for education and public awareness campaigns.