The Political Affairs and Democracy Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called in its report, released on Tuesday, on the Council of Europe member states to make effort to abolish any foreign funding of Islam that could be aimed at political intervention.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2018) The Political Affairs and Democracy Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called in its report, released on Tuesday, on the Council of Europe member states to make effort to abolish any foreign funding of islam that could be aimed at political intervention.
"The Assembly urges member States to ... put an end to any foreign funding of Islam which is used for the purpose of national political expansion into other States under the guise of Islam," the report, dubbed "Regulating foreign funding of Islam in Europe to prevent radicalisation and Islamophobia," read.
The report stipulated that while the ban on all foreign funding would be "arguably unreasonable and not necessary in a democratic society," it was essential to increase transparency by presenting annual financial reports that would give insight into the origin of any foreign funding and its use.
According to PACE, the Council of Europe member nations should "reject all attempts of interference in their territory by foreign organisations which aim to put in place a parallel society."
PACE went on to recommend "treating all religions on an equal footing."
"The Assembly encourages member States to introduce courses that promote an enlightened Islam, calls on them to devote substantial means to this, which also meet the needs of the religious communities, and supports initiatives to set up European faculties of theology open to Islam," the report read.
Over the past few years, Europe has been facing a large influx of migrants fleeing conflicts in their home countries, particularly those that are predominantly Muslim. According to a report by the US Pew Research Center, released in November 2017, Muslims should account for at least 18 percent of the combined population of Germany, France, Austria and Belgium by 2050.
