7
Feb
2024
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Need to fight the increase of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred (debate)
Madam President, Europe has gone through the darkest pages of its history because of anti-Semitism. Nowadays, unfortunately, we find hatred against the Jews again with many facades. But another hate speech has been added. Islamophobia is rooted in cultural racism. Antisemitism and xenophobia may have different starting points, but both stigmatize and exclude people because of their religious and ethnic origin. We must never forget that nations that recognize citizens' rights only on the basis of religion and ethnicity are on the path of barbarism. This is exactly what the founders of the European Union wanted us to avoid. The urgent need to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia stems from the fact that they pose a threat to liberal democracy and an open society, but also to European culture. Because a culture that violates human dignity ceases to be a culture.