Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-19-Speech-3-127"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2001-09-19"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Female genital mutilation2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20010919.9.3-127"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2001-09-19-Speech-3-1282
lpv:speaker	lp:Lousewies van der Laan2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-09-29--2002-01-14)3 member_of_the_bureau; ELDR (1999-09-13--2003-01-29)3 vice-chair; CONT (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Democraten 66 (1999-07-20--2003-01-29)3 member; Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (1999-09-29--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I would first of all like to express my appreciation to Mrs Valenciano, who, in her excellent report, has tackled this sensitive issue in a clear and compelling manner. The Liberal Group will therefore support the report. The genital mutilation of women and girls is a terrible violation of fundamental human rights. More than 130 million women have already fallen victim to this, and another two million are added every year. Europe should therefore pull out all the stops to combat this phenomenon, wherever it appears. I too understand that some Members are considering voting against this report on account of the sections on asylum and extraterritoriality. However, I would like to reassure everyone: if we consider the present asylum practice, we see that in most of the fifteen Member States, genital mutilation is already a basis for asylum. I believe that to be appropriate. From that point of view, the report merely accommodates existing practices. It is true that at present, the principle of extraterritoriality only applies to child-sex tourism, but it should also cover mutilated women or women who are at risk. For this is the only way to prevent EU citizens, for example from Somalian extraction, from taking their daughters to Somalia during the summer holidays to have them mutilated. If these people realise that upon their return to Europe, they are at risk of being prosecuted, we then give the parents a weapon with which to protect their daughters against the pressure of society. Finally, I would like to direct a comment to those who do not want to deal with genital mutilation due to it constituting an expression of a certain culture or religion. In all countries where genital mutilation is practised, local groups are running campaigns to abolish it. It is therefore not a case of us imposing our Western standards. No, it is precisely these women whom we need to support by showing our solidarity tomorrow during the vote. The Koran too leaves no room for mutilation. Despite this, it is mainly in Islamic countries that it is practised. We must therefore call on the Imams to help eradicate this phenomenon. This is crucial, since we cannot afford negative stereotyping of Islamic beliefs in the current sensitive climate. Genital mutilation is not a religious phenomenon, it is a violation of a fundamental human right."@en1

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