Muslim Council of Britain calls for EU to treat refugees with mercy regardless of color, creed
March 4, 2022, 3:10 pm

Muslim Council of Britain calls for EU to treat refugees with mercy regardless of color, creed

In less than a WEEK 600,000 Ukrainian refugees have been given shelter in Poland (File photo and text: Patrick Ney Facebook page)

The Arab News reported, the Muslim Council of Britain has said that the EU must treat all refugees fleeing conflict zones with “compassion and mercy regardless of their race, color or creed."

In a statement, it called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to peace” in Ukraine.

“We support all measures that will bring about a just peace as soon as possible. We urge our British government to play its part in the international community to bring about a lasting political solution to this conflict.”

The MCB also urged politicians and members of the media to be “mindful” of the “language and attitudes” displayed during the crisis.

A host of Western news channels have drawn criticism for their coverage or their guests’ comments on the crisis, which have been described as racist and problematic by many.

Videos circulating online, many with millions of views, have drawn attention to the language used to discuss the Ukraine crisis compared with conflicts in the Middle East.

This is the basement area of the Municipal Perinatal Hospital in Kharkiv. Tiny newborns and older infants that are sick and need special care (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

One journalist, on American channel NBC News, drew condemnation for saying: “To put it bluntly, these are not refugees from Syria, these are refugees from Ukraine ... They’re Christian, they’re white, they’re very similar.”

In another video, a journalist for the UK’s ITV News said: “Now the unthinkable has happened to them, and this is not a developing, third-world nation, this is Europe.”

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The MCB said: “The alarming consequences of such attitudes are clear to see: black and ethnic minority refugees fleeing from Ukraine are being discriminated against.

“We call upon all European governments to treat all refugees with compassion and mercy regardless of their race, colour or creed.”

To that effect, the MCB urged the British government — which critics have said is moving too slowly to accept Ukrainian refugees — to “reconsider” its planned overhaul of the asylum system through the Nationality and Borders Bill.

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The MCB said the bill “will effectively criminalise and re-buff those seeking refuge from such wars and persecution,” adding: “We cannot turn our backs on people in desperate need of sanctuary.”

Source: arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.