Leo van Doesburg

This year, we celebrate the 75 th anniversary from the end of the Second World War and the surrender of Nazi Germany to the allied forces. However, as allied troops liberated Europe, they came across the horrible atrocities of the Holocaust. Around two thirds ofEuropean Jewry were murdered . Their memory should lead us to do everything in our power to never allow such savage acts to take place again. Unfortunately, we are witnesses to a rise in antisemitic acts across Europe.  In 2018, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU (FRA) conducted a big survey on discrimination and hatecrime against Jews .   The survey covered 12 Member States, where the vast majority of EU’s estimated Jewish population live (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). It was the biggest survey of Jewish people ever conducted worldwide. Over one third of all respondents (39 %) experienced some form of antisemitic haras...

We want to have Human Rights for All, Not Special Rights for One Shortly after the Estrela report was defeated, a new initiative has been introduced, the “Lunacek Report” officially known as “EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity” (2013/2183). Adopted by the European Parliament Committee for Civil Liberties (LIBE), the European Parliament will vote on this report next week on 4 February. I agree when the Report asserts that LGBTI persons should have the same human rights as everyone else. This is an assertion that can be fully supported. The very purpose of Human Rights, the European Convention and other international human rights documents is to grant a minimum level of protection of the integrity of every person because everyone has equal worth and dignity. However, the Lunacek Report turns this fundamental equality upside down by claiming that specific LGBTI rights should now be considered as human...

On the 17th of May ( on International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia) , the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) presented the results of the largest LGTB survey ever on experiences of hate crime and discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGTB) people during a conference hosted by the Dutch Government in The Hague. In this (370,000 Euros-taxpayer-Euro) report, the shocking claim has been made that a quarter of the 93.000 LGBT people that answered the questionnaire said that they had become victims of physical violence in the past and claimed that this is the largest LGTB survey ever on Hate Crimes and Discrimination. With pride this report was presented and even new Queen Maxima of the Netherlands participated at the opening.    However, if you look carefully to the report and the procedures how these results were obtained, then serious questions raise about the credibility of both this report and their results.  Please find here a critica...