Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-15-Speech-3-036"
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"en.20000315.2.3-036"2
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"Mr President, the 1998/1999 annual report on respecting human rights within the EU has gone far beyond its own brief. Too much attention has gone into developing European powers in the field of human rights, of which, by all accounts, there are high expectations. Asylum policy has been dealt with extensively, so has the heading “life styles and types of relationships”. The rights of homosexuals have been given more attention than is necessary, and all kinds of requirements have been imposed on the Member States. What is remarkable, however, is the deafening silence when it comes to those who really are the weaker parties amongst us: the elderly, babies and the handicapped. And where does the right to life come in? And what about the protection of the family?
In a nutshell, the report is full of good intentions but is dogged by a view of man and society which is too individualistic. Nor does it do enough justice to the fact that life itself is worth protecting.
Racism, xenophobia and antisemitism must be stamped out. I fully share this view, which is expressed in the Ludford report. But in contrast to what is stated in the report, we cannot prevent racism and xenophobia by adopting a unilateral, positive approach to the multi-cultural society as a “source of social vitality”. This notion smacks of a naïve kind of intellectualism. The Netherlands has adopted such a policy over the past couple of years, aimed at bringing about a multi-cultural society. This did not turn out to be a success, as is evident from the “multi-cultural drama” which we now find ourselves in. Many immigrants have, as a result of this policy, ended up in a sub-class of society, with all the consequences that entails.
Rather than putting our own culture into a multi-cultural context, I am in favour of developing a sound, realistic awareness of our own culture, taking both the positive and the negative aspects into account, which can lead to improved relations with each other and acceptance of the cultural differences on both sides.
Finally, racism, xenophobia and antisemitism, have, I am sorry to say, existed throughout the world since time immemorial. With this in mind, we should take the century-old Biblical commandment “love thy neighbour like thyself” to heart."@en1
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