The European Commission said on Tuesday that the escalation of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks in Europe since October is “shocking”, following the worsening tensions in the Middle East, and stressed the need to promote religious coexistence.
The Vice-President of the Commission responsible for promoting the European lifestyle, Margaritis Schinas, met this Tuesday with several religious leaders from across the European Union (EU) to assess how “apparent religious differences can be overcome” for “promote the idea of common values, based on respect for each other’s dignity”.
During the meeting, which was postponed, Margaritis Schinas reported a “shocking escalation” in the spread of hate speech – spread across social media “at a pace that is surprising” – and anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks.
And he recalled that the EU is a community bloc that guarantees religious freedom and the coexistence of beliefs.
Margaritis Schinas believed that the worsening of tensions in the Middle East – caused by the Israeli invasion of the Palestinian territory in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for the unprecedented attack carried out by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7 in southern Israel – had consequences across the world, including the EU, with a “terrible wave of violence” and attacks on mosques and synagogues.
“There is great intensity in hate speech, it has nothing to do with religious beliefs. We can work together for the people, I want to hear from you about the impact the war has had on your communities and, with your help, we want to protect the people and prevent regional contagion”appealed against the vice president of the executive branch led by Ursula von der Leyen.
Source: DN
