Interview with Mikhail Margelov

Anti-semitism in Europe is one of the topics on the agenda at PACE session in Strasbourg. The Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Mikhail Margelov, outlined the significance of the issue.

Russia Today: Mr Margelov, could you tell us about this new form of anti-semitism and expand on your report?

M.M.: For most European countries anti-semitism is unfortunately a problem not of the past but of the present.  Even Eastern European countries, which suffered a lot during the Holocaust, are seeing anti-Jewish behaviour.  So too are some post-Soviet republics.  Russia isn’t excluded in this regard either.  To my mind, the conflict in the Middle East somehow feeds anti-Semitism in Europe, because sometimes, with the assistance of some radical Islamic movements, anti-Semitism is hidden behind anti-Zionist protests. For me this is a new angle of this problem in Europe.

With the growth of radical movements in Russia, unfortunately, our country faces the same problems of intolerance and xenophobia as that faced by other European nations. So, what can be done about it?  I believe education is essential, as well as encouraging intercultural dialogue. What Europe does not need is a clash of civilisations, cultures and religions. And Russia is not an exception here.

RT: Senator Dick Marty’s report on secret CIA prisons in Europe claims Poland and Romania hosted secret detention centres where torture was carried out. What do you think of this report?

M.M.: I think it’s very positive that the report draws attention to violations of human rights, which have been hidden under the umbrella of the “war on terror”.  This is totally unacceptable from a European point of view. We should not forget about the human rights issues. Even if we do the job we have to do, even if we combat terrorism, we should not forget about human rights.