Understanding Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes - Addressing the Security Needs of Muslim Communities: Launch of ODIHR’s Practical Guide in Greece

The event will introduce the participants to ODIHR's publication Understanding Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes - Addressing the Security Needs of Muslim Communities: A Practical Guide, designed to aid governments in their actions on preventing and addressing hate crimes against Muslims. This includes analyzing security risks and necessary actions required to address them, with the aim of improving the capacity of the police and other institutions to meet the security needs of Muslim communities and individuals.

The event will provide opportunities to discuss the root causes, drivers and prevalence of manifestations of intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes against Muslims in Greece. The event will elaborate on the security needs of the local Muslim communities and on the use of the Guide as a practical tool to address these needs.

Why is it important?

The discussion is designed to facilitate a deeper understanding of anti-Muslim hate crime and the consequent security risks to Muslim individuals and communities, and the actions required to address anti-Muslim hate crimes, both in Greece and OSCE-wide. 

Participants 

The meeting will gather representatives of the: 

• Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs;
• Ministry for Citizens’ Protection;
• Ministry of Justice;
• Public Prosecutor’s Office;
• MOHA Research Center;
• Muslim community;
• Civil society;
• Academic institutions.

This event is part of ODIHR’s project Turning Words into Action to Address Intolerance (WiA).

Background

ODIHR is mandated to support OSCE participating States and civil society organizations in their efforts to address all forms of intolerance and discrimination and hate crime, including such crimes committed against Muslims. In particular, OSCE commitments related to hate crimes include: 

• strengthening legislation;
• collecting reliable data;
• building the capacity of actors in criminal justice systems;
• encouraging victims to report hate crimes;
• supporting victims of hate crimes; and
• assisting civil society.