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Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department June 2008. Why a special focus on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination?.

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Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

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  1. Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department June 2008

  2. Why a special focus on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination? • Increase of racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and other intolerant acts in the OSCE region • High-level conferences in 2003-07 requested increased action to address increasing acts of intolerance

  3. Creation of Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Programme • 2003 Maastricht MC Decision expands ODIHR’s mandate • Includes violent manifestations of intolerance: hate incidents and crimes • Need for a specific approach to improve: data collection, legislation, law enforcement and tolerance education

  4. Mandate of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Programme • (1) compile data, statistics, legislation and best practices relating to hate crimes; • (2) promote freedom of religion or belief; • (3) education and training tools to counter intolerance; • (4) cooperate and coordinate with other intergovernmental agencies and civil society

  5. Why a special focus on Anti-Muslim Intolerance and Discrimination? • OSCE’s holistic and thematic approach • Increase of violent manifestations of intolerance against Muslims after 9/11

  6. Manifestations of Intolerance against Muslims • Physical attacks and verbal harassments against individuals • Vandalism and desecration of mosques, Koran and cemeteries • Discriminatory policies in immigration, employment, access to public services • Anti-terrorism policies with racial profiling • Biased media coverage and political discourse • Denial of accommodation of religion in schools and work place • Restrictions on building mosques

  7. OSCE Decisions on Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims • Rejection of identification of terrorism and extremism with a particular religion or culture • Collection of reliable data on hate crimes • Inter-faith/inter-cultural dialogue • Protection of freedom of religion • Educational and awareness-raising measures • Role of media • Cooperation with civil society

  8. ODIHR Activities to Combat Intolerance against Muslims • Cross-cutting Activities: • Hate Crime Monitoring • Law Enforcement Officers Capacity Building (LEOP) • Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Information System (TANDIS) • Civil Society Capacity Building • Freedom of Religion

  9. ODIHR Activities to Combat Intolerance against Muslims • Specific Activities: • Country Specific Resource Books on Muslim Communities • Educational Tools to Combat Anti-Muslim Intolerance • Muslim NGO Roundtable Meetings • Cooperation with CiO Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance against Muslims

  10. 2008 American Context Strengths: • An immigration country • Strong hate crime legislation and data collection system • Respect for freedom of religion or belief

  11. American Context Challenges: • Impact of 9/11 • Racial Profiling • Biased Portrayal of Muslims in political discourse and media • Need for more effective educational initiatives to combat intolerance against Muslims

  12. Taskin Tankut Soykan Adviser on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims OSCE-ODIHR Email: taskin.soykan@odihr.pl Website: http://www.osce.org/odihr

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