By Daisy Ayliffe - 10th November 2005
The EU responded well to the London bomb attacks, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia reported on Thursday.
A study assessing the impact of the July 7 London blasts on communities finds EU governments helped prevent a negative backlash against Muslims.
“The short-term effect of the London bombings appear to have affected [Muslims] far less than the 11 September attacks on the US. This could be attributed…to the swift responses by governments, politicians and opinion leaders," the report declares.
Unveiling its report at the European Parliament on Thursday, the EUMC reserved criticism for some European media outlets – accusing them of using “inflammatory language” and confusing readers.
"Distinctions have sometimes been blurred by inflationary language and headlines such as Islamic terrorism, and in many cases the use of terms Islam, Muslim, fundamentalism seems to confuse rather than educate the reader," the report concludes.
British journalists were singled out for exacerbating tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims.
"In a communication to British Imams and Muslim organisations of 11 July 2005, MCB Secretary General, Sir Iqbal Sacranie criticised some media for disseminating Islamophobic propaganda,” the EUMC notes.
The report also finds that EU member states with large Muslim communities used the London events to trigger new initiatives to build bridges between different community groups.
"In Italy a government initiative for a Consultative Council of Muslims was fast-tracked in the wake of 7/7," it says.
Claude Moraes MEP launched the EUMC report and told reporters the EU has a duty to maintaining good relations between communities.
“The crucial message for the future is that engagement in the issues that matter in relations between Europe’s communities must continue to be a priority. This responsibility rests as much on the Muslim community as on majority communities,” he said.
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