(14/03/2018)
Dear President Tajani,
I am writing to you as a fellow Member of the European Parliament and as Co-President of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) to call for dispensary measures against Marcel de Graaff MEP for his speech in plenary this morning.
Mr. de Graaff accused Muslim people of systemically launching Europe straight back into the Middle Ages by stating that Islam is the definition of gender inequality, polygamy, child marriage, slavery and honor killings. His speech was clearly based on Islamophobic rhetoric and is an unacceptable behavior for a Member of European Parliament.
Therefore, I would urge you to take immediate action against Mr. de Graaff using the EP’s Rules of Procedure. Such behaviour should not be tolerated and should be sanctioned. His actions are all the more irresponsible and dangerous given that he is a Member of the European Parliament and in the current context in Europe where the rights of migrants and Muslims have come under attack.
Racism and xenophobia are direct violations of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. It is imperative that all of us fight intolerance and we hope you take action.
I look forward to receiving your reply and how you will take action.
Yours sincerely,
Cécile Kyenge
Asim Ademov
Marina Albiol Guzman
Nedzhmi Ali
Martina Anderson
Bashir Amjad
Brando Benifei
Lynn Boylan
Mercedes Bresso
Renata Briano
Nicola Caputo
Matt Carthy
Nessa Childers
Silvia Costa
Andrea Cozzolino
Jakop Dalunde
Isabella De Monte
Gérard Deprez
Pascal Durand
Linnéa Engström
Cornelia Ernst
Tanja Fajon
Luke Ming Flanagan
Iratxe Garcìa-Perez
Elena Gentile
Neena Gill
Michela Giuffrida
Ana Maria Gomes
Theresa Griffin
Sylvie Guillaume
Jytte Guteland
Anna Hedh
Filiz Hyusmenova
Eva Joly
Sajjad Karim
Wajid Khan
Jude Kirton-Darling
Dietmar Köster
Ilhan Kyuchyuk
Jean Lambert
Patrick Le Hyaric
Barbara Lochbihler
Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar
Paloma Lopez Bermejo
Olle Ludvigsson
Curzio Maltese
Marisa Matias
Iskra Mihaylova
Baroness Nosheena Mobarik
Claude Moraes
Luigi Morgano
Alessia Maria Mosca
Javier Nart
Liadh Nì Riada
Younous Omarjee
Dimitrios Papadimoulis
Georgi Pirinski
Soraya Post
Terry Reintke
Christine Revault d’Allonnes Bonnefoy
Michèle Rivasi
Liliana Rodrigues
Inmaculada Rodriguez-Piñero
Lola Sànchez Caldentey
Elly Schlein
Jasenko Selimovic
Barbara Spinelli
Bart Staes
Patrizia Toia
Marita Ulvskog
Miguel Urban Crespo
Bodil Valero
Ángela Vallina
Hilde Vautmans
Marie Christine Vergiat
Daniele Viotti
Julie Ward
Josef Weidenholzer
Damiano Zoffoli