WRITTEN QUESTION E-1176/02 by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Council. Muslim imams' incitement to violence.
Date: 2002-04-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, drafting of EU law, human rights, public safety, religious fundamentalism, removal, violence

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/157

part of the Apennines, with its numerous historic and artistic treasures and rural beauty spots. The
municipality of Casina, part of whose territory falls under Objective 2, occupies a hilly portion of Reggio
Emilia province (average altitude: c. 540 metres); its territory includes approximately 25 km of footpaths
(some of them falling within the ‘Matilde Castles Circuit’ project). It is essential to develop tourism in
Casina, and the municipality lacks resources.

Can the Commission state whether, under Objective 2 (which covers part of Casina), it is possible to secure
funds for the development of cultural tourism or for regional development projects (under the ERDF), with
a view to putting this scheme into practice?

What forms of cooperation or aids from the Commission could be utilised for this project?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2002)

Under the principle of subsidiarity, the assessment and selection of projects proposed for part-financing by
the Structural Funds and their implementation are matters for the regional and national managing
authorities.

The single programming document (SPD) for the areas of the region of Emilia-Romagna eligible under
Objective 2 during the period 2000-2006 includes two measures for action in the tourism sector which
could be part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The first deals with skills and
support for tourist businesses while the second concerns the development of mountain resources and
proposes a series of integrated measures to increase and expand the capacity for tourism on offer.

The project in question, for the training of guides, could come under the type of measures part-financed
by the European Social Fund (ESF) under the operational programme for Emilia-Romagna under
Objective 43 which applies throughout the region.

Any applications for part-finance and questions on access to the Structural Funds may be sent to the
following authorities:

8 for the Objective 2 SPD: Direzione Attività Produttive, Commercio e Turismo, Viale Aldo Moro 30,

I-40127 Bologna, tel. +39 051 283 869, fax +39 051 283 615,
e-mail: ubfontanesi@regione.emilia-romagna.it

8 for the Objective 3 OP: Dott.ssa Cristina Balboni, Regione Emilia Romagna, Viale Aldo Moro, 38,

I-40127 Bologna, tel. +39 051 283 374, fax +39 051 283 867,
e-mail: fp_direz@regione.emilia-romagna.it

The European voluntary service of the Youth programme may also support voluntary service projects in
Italy for young people from other countries. The aim of the European voluntary service is provide young
people with learning opportunities through participation in a project in another country and to provide
a European dimension for local projects.

For information on the European voluntary service, the Commission would request the Honourable
Member to contact the Agenzia Nazionale Italiana Gioventù, Dott.ssa Cinzia Marulli, Via Fornovo 8 8
Pal. A; I-00192 Roma, tel. +39 06 3675 44 82, fax +39 06 3675 45 29; e-mail: azione2@gioventu.it

(2002/C 277 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1176/02

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Council

(25 April 2002)

Subject: Muslim imams’ incitement to violence

European citizens’ security, European human rights and peace in the Member States are under threat from
certain fundamentalist Muslim imams who are openly calling in the Member States for ‘holy war’ and
publicly supporting the use of Islamic law, Sharia.

C 277 E/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

In declaration upon declaration, the EU proclaims its intention to create an area of peace, security and
justice. It may seem contrary to such designs for the EU to allow fundamentalist political forces, under the
guise of alleged religious faith, to call on Muslims in Europe to go to ‘holy war’ and to voice their support
for Islamic law, the atrocities of Sharia.

On 5 April 2002, during Friday prayers at a Copenhagen mosque, Imam Ahmed Abu Laban, whose
followers number between 10 000 and 15 000, called on his fellow believers to support their compatriots
at home who, he claimed, wanted ‘jihad’ and were willing to pay the price to liberate the Al Aqsa mosque
in Jerusalem. The newspaper Politiken reports him as saying ‘you must not believe that those killed in
combat are dead. They are alive with Allah and Allah bestows gifts upon them. We should think about
being active rather than passive.’ He added that Muslims should not rely on the UN or its Security Council
but should put their trust in Allah over the Middle East conflict.

Only a week earlier, the same imam had voiced his support for the use of Sharia to carry out the death
sentence imposed on a Nigerian woman, Safiya Hussaini, for adultery.

In a judgment of 31 July 2001 (cases 41340/98 and 41342/98), the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg ruled that Sharia (Islamic law) is clearly contrary to the values set out in the Convention on
Human Rights. Nevertheless, the EU’s contribution has consisted in the main of one distorted report after
another from the so-called Observatory for Racism and Xenophobia vilifying anyone who voices
misgivings about the advance of fundamentalism in the EU.

Will the Council take steps to introduce legislation which ensures that any person inciting to ‘holy war’,
violence and violation of human rights is deported from the EU?

Reply

(22 July 2002)

The Council informs the Honourable Parliamentarian that no legislation of that kind is planned to be
introduced at EU level.

(2002/C 277 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1198/02

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Road haulage companies with their registered places of business in Luxembourg

Several European road haulage companies, including Danish ones, have their registered place of business in
Luxembourg, because of tax advantages and in order to evade national regulations on driving times, labour
agreements and safety requirements for lorries.

Can the Commission state how many European road haulage companies have their registered place of
business in Luxembourg, and whether these are simply ‘letterbox’ companies which do not really operate
from Luxembourg? What does it plan to do to combat
this practice, which manifestly distorts
competition?