Brussels, 09/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - According to a press release, at the end of the hearing organised by his Group on the dialogue between Christianity and Islam, Graham Watson, President of the Liberal Group in the EP, castigated all forms of religious fundamentalism, be it Christian or Muslim, placing emphasis on State/Church separation and on better knowledge of languages and international affairs, to facilitate mutual understanding. Emma Nicholson, member of the Group, underpinned the role the EU could play by encouraging "diversity and tolerance". In Europe, Islam should be a religion like any other, said Felix Marti, Director of the Unesco Centre of Catalunya, whereas Fouad Allam, Professor of Islamic Sociology, regretted, according to the same press release, that there were hardly any Muslim parliamentarians in Europe, especially in France and Italy. As for President EP Cox, he believed that Europe was particularly well placed to give a lead for peace, thanks to its abilities when it comes to "dialogue, reconciliation and reconstruction". In the Middle East, he added, "a US-led imperium in the region cannot be a basis for sustainable peace".