The Council of Europe has become alarmed by the proliferation of racially motivated incidents and the trivialisation of racist hate speech in Europe, also warning in a report published on Thursday against the dangers of discrimination as represented by artificial intelligence.
The Council of Europe's independent body of experts ECRI, tasked with combating racism, points out "the growing influence of ultra-nationalist and xenophobic politics in Europe resulting in a discourse of hatred setting the tone on the social networks, rampant islamophobia as well as antisemitism, and a climate increasingly hostile to NGOs striving to help vulnerable groups," which are together described as "alarming developments."
"Europe is confronted by a grim reality: acts of violence motivated by antisemitism, hatred aimed at Muslims and other forms of race hate are proliferating at an alarming rate," the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, warned, recalling the shootings that left nine dead in the German town of Hanau last week.
ECRI's report draws attention to the recurring problem of discrimination against Muslims, Jews, Roma people and persons of colour within the Council's 47 member states, considering "a more proactive approach and support for inclusive education" to be necessary.
In reference to the LGBTI community, the report says that "if many countries have stepped up their efforts in support of equality, others have gone in the opposite direction and LGBTI people continue to be victims of harassment, threats and violence."
The Brussels Times
