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August 11, 2008 The Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) has expressed serious
concerns about reports that an far right group
is holding an anti-Islam conference in the
German city of Cologne in September.
A spokesman for the OIC’s Islamophobia
Observatory in Jeddah said in a statement
issued yesterday that the proposed conference
was aimed at arousing anti-Muslim sentiments
in Europe and that it would pose a threat to
inter-communal peace and harmony in society.
The right-wing extremist group Pro Koln is
organizing the event on Sept. 19-20, with the
aim of issuing a declaration against the
purported “Islami-fication” of Europe.
The meeting is expected to be attended by
some of the most inflammatory names in
European race politics, including Jean-Marie
Le Pen of France, Austria’s Heinz-Christian
Strache, and Belgium’s Filip Dewinter.
The organizers of the conference are
motivated by racial hatred and xenophobia,
said the OIC spokesman.
“The OIC hopes that all segments of society
in Germany and other parts of Europe will come
out strongly against the holding of such a
conference, and reject the proponents of
hatred and racism,” he said in the statement.
Various international groups have condemned
Pro Koln for organizing the conference and
called for public initiatives to confront
efforts to spread the right-wing propaganda
against people of other ethnic or religious
groups.
Meanwhile, German Jewish writer and
Holocaust survivor Ralph Giordano has come out
strongly against the planned conference.
He said his protests against the “symptoms
of a political and militant Islam” have always
been based on his desire to “protect the
constitutional state based on fundamental
rights.”
“Pro Koln doesn’t want any democracy at
all,” Giordano said, adding that he would
“defend any Muslim who is affected by
anti-foreigner feeling or xenophobia.” -- Arab
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