European Citizens' Initiative "STOP EXTREMISM": 150,000 Signatures Against Terror and Counting

LINZ, Austria, December 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Civil rights activist Seyran Ates asks for declarations of support   

The European Citizens' Initiative's "STOP EXTREMISM" insists that the EU take stronger measures against any kind of extremism. And the organization is pleased to announce that over 150,000 EU citizens have already signed.

"I am very happy about this great success," says Berlin lawyer and women's activist Seyran Ates, who co-founded the citizens' initiative, "which shows that many people in Europe are prepared to actively stand up against extremism and terror."

The European Commission approved The European Citizens' Initiative's "STOP EXTREMISM" in June 2017. By June 2018, the group will collect one million declarations of support for EU citizens entitled to vote. Then the European Parliament and the European Commission will be required to put the EU directive proposed by "STOP EXTREMISM" on their agenda. "I'm very confident that we can reach the million and put forward our demands in Brussels," said Seyran Ates.

"STOP EXTREMISM" is directed against Islamist extremism as well as right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and leftist radicalism. "With the measures we propose, we want to ensure that Europe's citizens can live in security, peace and tolerance. The basis of our initiative is the European Charter on Human Rights," Ates said.

The most important requirements of STOP EXTREMISM are to, for example:

• form an EU-wide definition of extremism of all types
• not permit extremists to work in schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions, nor take public office,
• take legal measures against extremist propaganda and hate speech - even in social networks,
• and stop financing extremist institutions from other EU countries.

"It is simply unacceptable that countries such as Qatar are financing hundreds of millions of euros for extremists and hate preachers in Europe, paving the way for violence and terrorism," Seyran Ates said.

Details on the claims of Ates and her comrades can be found on the website http://www.stopextremism.eu.

Seyran Ates says: "I ask all Europeans who want to protect freedom and human rights in Europe to make a declaration of support at http://www.stopextremism.eu."

Further information: Michael Laubsch, t.: +43-664-1540614, m.: media@stopextremism.eu

Pictures Seyran Ates for download: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J5erJljg1gMFGf9N0oEt0FKGm1jwXgIi