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Sharia law, including provisions which are in clear contradiction with the European Convention on Human Rights were applied either officially or unofficially in several member States, the assembly said in a statement on Tuesday.  

“PACE, which supports the principle of separation of State and religion, emphasised that the Islamic declarations on human rights adopted since the 1980s, while being more religious than legal, failed to reconcile Islam with universal human rights – this includes the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, which, whilst not legally binding, has symbolic value and political significance,” the statement said.

According to the resolution, it is of great concern that “three member States, namely Albania, Azerbaijan and Turkey, have endorsed, explicitly or implicitly, the Cairo Declaration, as have Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco and Palestine, whose parliaments enjoy partner for democracy status with PACE”.

During the session, the member states paid attention to the use of Sharia law in selected Muslim communities of Greece, particularly in Thrace. Athens urges to ensure the free choice of muftis in these communities, as well as at to ensure that they do not fulfill the functions of justice and that the Sharia norms are not generally applied in the country.

“Finally, the Assembly called on the countries (member States and observer States) who are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on Greece and on the United Kingdom to report back to the Assembly by June 2020 on the actions taken as a follow-up to the resolution adopted today,” the statement said.

The Assembly also calls on Council of Europe member States and those whose parliaments enjoy partner for democracy status with the Assembly to: bolster pluralism, tolerance and a spirit of openness by proactive measures, taken by governments, civil society and religious communities, whilst respecting common values as reflected in the European Convention on Human Rights; design and implement educational and vocational programmes aimed at rooting human rights and fundamental freedom as enshrined in the Convention, and in particular the principles of gender equality and of non-discrimination based on religious beliefs, in the cultural and legal tradition of their countries.

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