Brussels, 07/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell who is currently also President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), spoke on Monday evening of the wave of violence caused by the publication in Denmark of caricatures considered blasphemous to Muslims, in a statement in which he stresses that freedom of expression is one of the founding values of the European Union, but this freedom must be “within the boundaries of respect for the religious beliefs and cultural sensibilities of others” (see EUROPE 2125). President Borrell goes on, “Freedom of expression must avoid any insult (…) I understand that for many Muslims, the cartoons that have been published are an insult to their beliefs. I wholeheartedly condemn the use of violence and incitement to violence' and “I also consider it unacceptable that the publication of the material concerned has been exploited so as to stir up violent responses”. On Monday, at a meeting of the EMPA Bureau, Mr Borrell pointed out that “dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect are the pillars of our Alliance of Civilisations” and the only way to settle differences and that the EMPA can serve as a “forum for constructive dialogue”.
The EMPA Bureau decided to include this issue on the agenda for debate at its plenary session, in Brussels on 26-27 March. The Bureau adopted a statement in which it “strongly deplores the offence given to the religious feelings of the Muslim community, calls for a responsible use of the freedom of the press and of expression and condemns any disrespect for religions as well as any attempt to incite religious hatred, xenophobic or racial remarks”. At the same time, the Bureau also “strongly condemns the use of violence against European diplomatic representations and calls for the return to a peaceful and constructive atmosphere of dialogue”.