EU against anti-Islam ****trayals’
Publish Date: Monday,14 April, 2008, at 02:02 AM Doha Time
Pottering... seeks dialogue
Staff Re****ter
President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering, said that he
was against the
anti-Islam film Fitna, which was produced and released by a Dutch
lawmaker.
Talking to re****ters in Doha on the sidelines of the eighth Forum on
Democracy, Development and
Free Trade, which started yesterday, he said that he understood the
cultural differences
between the Islamic world and Europe and that he was committed to dialogue
based on partner****p.
“If there are people who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam,
we do not believe they
represented the mainstream of Muslim thinking… we [the EU] will not accept
that Islam and
terrorism are identical. We are not in favour of descriptions and pictures
that identify
violence with Islam. We are against any cartoons that could instigate
violence,” he said.
“We are committed to the freedom of the press but I am against publi****ng
cartoons that hurt
the feelings of others. As a Catholic, I would feel insulted if someone
derides the Pope. We
might disagree with others but we have to respect them.”
He said Muslims had been freely practising their religion in Europe and
Qatar’s decision to
allow churches on its soil was very much welcome and such a step was an
indication of
tolerance. “I visited the Catholic church in Doha yesterday and I was
impressed.”
On the negotiations between the EU and GCC to hammer out a Free Trade
Agreement (FTA),
P?ttering said that he did not come to Doha to discuss such issues, but
said such an agreement
was im****tant but both sides needed a long-term pact.
He said that Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner of the European
Commission was to visit the
region and she would speed up the FTA talks.
On the EU Parliament’s position on Middle East peace process, he said
Europeans had been
sup****ting the two-state principle, which called for Israel having
secured and defined borders
along side a secured and defined state of Palestine. Pottering hoped Syria
would take a more
positive step to revive the process.
On the necessity of having an elected-parliament in Qatar, he said that
such a process took
time. “I have been a member of the European Parliament since 1979, when it
had no power.”
On the continuing violence in Kosovo, he said that most of the 27 nations
in the European bloc
were sup****ting the independence of Kosovo, but “we believe it is
necessary to respect the
rights of the Serb minority there”.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=212875&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
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