Strasbourg, 31 march 2010

COJEP organized the Second National Congress of Citizenship successfully in the National Assembly on 25 March 2010.

The participation has reached a critical level in recent regional elections and at the same time, the situation of cultural diversity in France was discussed insistently, therefore holding of the Congress had a strong symbolic meaning. The topics discussed were in perfect harmony with last events and turned around the Participative Citizenship and the inclusive Democracy.
The discussions were informative regarding the representation of cultural diversity in local, regional and national as well as the effective democratic inclusion of this societal component.

COJEP International and EMISCO have noted with great concern the outcome of local elections in Netherlands.

In a historically inter-cultural society, the results in Dutch local polls show that the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) has made major gains in the Netherlands becoming the biggest party in the medium-sized city of Almere and the capital, The Hague.

COJEP International and EMISCO (European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion) with the support of Council of Europe, ISESCO and Organisation of Islamic Conference have launching a contest to select the most beautiful existing Minaret in Europe through a photographic competition.

Mosques, with or without their minarets have been a permanent addition in the aesthetics of our urban landscapes. They are a reflection of the presence of the Muslim communities in our cities and in the company of other faiths and beliefs, convey a message of common living, peace and respect. It is however unfortunate, that lately some populist politicians and a section of media has made minarets an issue to curtail fundamental rights.