“In recent years, we have observed alarming incidents of antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment in many parts of Europe”, declared, on Tuesday 22 June, Daniel Höltgen, Council of Europe Special Representative on Antisemitic, Anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes.
The exponential nature of online hate is particularly dangerous, he stressed, announcing that the Council of Europe is preparing a Recommendation on countering increasing hate speech including on the internet from human rights perspective.
A Recommendation to promote teaching and learning about the history of the Holocaust and to pass on remembrance is also being prepared.
In addition, Daniel Höltgen presented the preliminary results of a consultation with Muslim organisations in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Luxembourg and the UK.
The result is a “dangerous trend”, he noted. While incitement to violence, death threats and anti-Muslim conspiracies are still predominantly posted anonymously online, the threshold of identified accounts is decreasing, meaning that such statements are becoming more “acceptable”.
Six out of eight organisations say that online hate is now as, or even more threatening than offline attacks. Most said they felt that governments were not doing enough to protect Muslims and that politicians were reluctant to tackle the problem.
Asked by EUROPE what role the Digital Service Act, which the European Parliament will start examining this autumn (see EUROPE 12745/17), could play, Mr Höltgen said the EU legislative package was an “important step” in the fight against online hate.
“It is really tackling the problem, I support it 100%”, said the Special Representative. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)