Erik Adell Hellström, Chair of the Steering Committee for Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion, participated in a Coordination meeting on addressing Anti-Muslim hatred, held on 14 and 15 March 2024 in Strasbourg.
This high-level event, co-organised by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes of the Council of Europe and The European Commission Coordinator on combating anti-Muslim hatred, was opened by the Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić.
The meeting brought together representatives of member States, including special envoys and ambassadors, and other experts to discuss the growing trend of Anti-Muslim hatred In Europe and beyond, providing a forum for them to share their expertise, as well as to discuss the state of affairs in their respective countries and exchange views on future work to combat Anti-Muslim hatred, a phenomenon that requires international collaboration and concerted efforts across national borders.
The CDADI contributes to combating Anti-Muslim hatred at two levels: through standards on preventing anti-Muslim hatred by fostering a pluralist and open identity, and through standards on how to effectively fight discrimination, hate speech and hate crime against Muslims. The CDADI has made significant contributions to both these aspects through at least three strands of its work: that on intercultural inclusion, which is carried out by the Committee of Experts on Intercultural Inclusion and has led to the adoption of Recommendation CM(2022)10 on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration; through the adoption of Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)16 on combating hate speech; and by the preparation of a draft Committee of Ministers Recommendation on combating hate crime. A Study on preventing and combating hate speech in times of crisis further provides member States and other actors with valuable guidance on how to prevent and respond to the rise in hate speech provoked by diverse crises in Europe.
