The EU is under attack from the far right. Here’s how I learned to defend it
"Tory MPs back youth group with apparent links to US far right"
Schams El Ghoneimi
At citizens’ debates in France I found the best way to fight messaging from activists like Steve Bannon is to talk to people
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The European parliament has direct, tangible effects on our lives. It can weigh on financial markets, on climate change, on the tech giants. It is relevant in so many positive ways – not a hotbed of bureaucrats. Discussing its role with people in local communities can shift perceptions. During a debate in the region of Savoie, in the French Alps, one lady told me she had no interest whatsoever in the EU elections. I mentioned Europe’s role in defending minority and women rights, and it meant a lot to me that she left the meeting saying she’d cast a vote for her “children’s future”. Likewise, in discussions with supporters of the gilets jaunes movement, I saw how making the case for citizens’ empowerment could actually convince people to vote in the EU elections, not just stand in the cold at roundabouts complaining about “elites”.
At the heart of the European project is an endeavour to build a better future for us all. If Islamophobia is on the rise, we should fight it with just as much energy as we do antisemitism, and vice versa. Indifference is a recipe for collective failure. If you’re a citizen of an EU country [the US/Australia/any country], get involved. Call your MEP, write a petition, support a citizens’ initiative, join a party or an NGO you believe in. Engage with your community, especially in the face of hardship. After the November 2015 terrorist attacks .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/bataclan-witnesses-recount-horror-paris-attacks .. in Paris, I organised a gathering around a group of Syrian refugee musicians who’d arrived in Europe on rafts. Together we founded Syrians Got Talent .. http://www.schamseu.fr/newsweek-concert-syrians-got-talent/ , who have since given 19 concerts across Europe. We were disparaged by Breitbart News .. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2016/03/31/syrians-got-talent-brussels-solidarity-concert-to-protest-demonisation-of-migrants/ , the far-right website set up by Donald Trump’s then presidential campaign strategist, Steve Bannon. We just went on, building trust between locals and refugees.
The fight for a united and strong EU is a worthwhile one.
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