Secretary
General Marija Pejčinović Burić today
appointed the Council of Europe’s Director of Communications
Daniel Höltgen, to the new position of Special Representative on
Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Hatred and Hate Crimes.
Commenting on the appointment, the Secretary General
said: “On Friday it will be one year since the deadly antisemitic
attack at a Synagogue in Hanau, Germany, on the Jewish holiday of
Yom Kippur. In February this year, a far-right extremist killed
10 people, several of them with a Muslim background, in Hanau.
These are no longer isolated events. We are witnessing an
alarming increase in antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks in many
parts of Europe today, often incited and aggravated by hate
speech online.
“Like Judaism, Islam is part of today’s Europe. Jews
and Muslims should not live in fear of hatred against individuals
and their communities. The fight against antisemitic and
anti-Muslim hatred and hate crimes is a pan-European task. My
Special Representative will work to join forces at the European
level and ensure the collective expertise of the Council of
Europe is put to full use in our common effort to prevent
antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts.”
Freedom from discrimination, including on grounds of
religion or belief, has been at the core of the Council of
Europe’s mission since its establishment in 1949. The
Organisation also maintains a long-standing focus on Holocaust
remembrance.
The Secretary General’s Special Representative will
liaise with counterparts in the Council of Europe member states,
exchange information and best practice with different partners
and enhance co-operation towards effective counter strategies at
the European level.
The Special Representative will start his new
function on 1 November. Daniel Höltgen, who is British and
German, will maintain his position as Director of Communications
which he has held since 2010. Höltgen previously worked in senior
positions in the German government and in EU
institutions.
