The Parliamentary Assembly adopted unanimously Resolution 1743 (2010) and Recommendation 1927 (2010) on Islam, Islamism and Islamophobia on 23 May 2010.
In its reply of 16 March 2011, the Committee of Ministers states that “increased action is required by the Council of Europe, to ensure freedom of thought, conscience and religion while combating religious intolerance and discrimination”. However, the Committee of Ministers puts this statement under the condition that it is “subject to available funding”.
Recommendation 1927 (2010) recommended, inter alia, that the Committee of Ministers “call on Switzerland to enact a moratorium on, and to repeal as soon as possible, its general prohibition on the construction of minarets for mosques, which discriminates against Muslim communities under Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights”, and “call on member states not to establish a general ban on full veiling or other religious or special clothing”. However, the reply by the Committee of Ministers remains silent on those two issues.
Recommendation 1927 (2010) recommended that the Committee of Ministers “consider opening the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) to participation by non-member states, in particular from North Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia”. The Committee of Ministers replies that it was difficult to imagine how a country which was not a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and was not bound by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights could be properly monitored by ECRI. However, under Article 5 of the Statute of ECRI, the Holy See is invited to be represented in ECRI without the right to vote. The latter modus could be enlarged to all observer states or other non-member states.
Therefore, Mr Jensen,
To ask the Committee of Ministers: