King of Jordan urges EU to tackle Islamophobia

King Abdullah tells MEPs that the EU is an important partner in the fight against terrorism.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has called on the European Union to continue its fight against Islamophobia during a speech to the European Parliament.

“Europe is an important partner in helping to stop the global rise of Islamophobia,” he told members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, adding that the “future lies in unity and respect” and that attacking others is “no way forward”.

King Abdullah, who was making his fourth visit to the Parliament since becoming king in 1999, said that the actions of terrorists are not in line with Islamic values. “These terrorists have made the world’s Muslims their greatest target,” he said. “We will not allow them to hijack our faith.”

Martin Schulz, the president of the Parliament, praised King Abdullah for his participation in the memorial march in January after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Schulz said that the king had “sent a strong signal to the Middle East”.

King Abdullah also touched upon the issue of migration. Following conflicts in the Middle East, and especially in Syria, Jordan has the third largest amount  of refugees in the world, about 1.4 million. While thanking Europe for its support, he said that the number of refugees in Jordan is “like France hosting the whole population of Belgium”.

The EU has pledged financial aid to Jordan for dealing with Syrian refugees. In December, the European Commission came up with a package worth €180 million to deal with the effects of the Syrian crisis in the country itself, as well as in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan.

As well as addressing MEPs, King Abdullah will meet Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, in Strasbourg to discuss the EU’s ties with Jordan and the fight against terrorism.