By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“Bound by a common design, all these countries have adopted an identical approach in quelling pro-Palestine protest…”

Following extensive consultation with civil society organisations including the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, will release her latest report this week on the global impact of the conflict in Gaza on freedom of expression.

In a statement on Tuesday, the IHRC said the report “highlights attacks on journalists and media restrictions which endanger access to information about the conflict globally; suppression of protests and dissent, and restrictions on legitimate advocacy for the rights of Palestinian people.”

Following extensive consultation with civil society organisations including the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission @ihrc , the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, will release her latest… pic.twitter.com/JKhV1SBaLS

— Ali Ahmad Mabrur (@aamabrur00) October 16, 2024

The advocacy group emphasized that since October 7, the the governments of United Kingdom, France and Germany “in particular” have engaged in “an alarming campaign of repression against protests and dissent in support of Palestinians, with the targeting of activists, artists, protestors, political and civil organizations.”

“Bound by a common design, all these countries have adopted an identical approach in quelling pro-Palestine protest: exceptional Islamophobic and racist counter-terrorism powers; illegal bans; brutal harassment; arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders; censorship; harassment and electronic surveillance,” the IHRC said.

The IHRC has been in constant dialogue with the Special Rapporteur over the past year and has submitted two reports to date.

Criminalization, Censorship

Titled The Authoritarian Drift of the European Democratic State: the Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Movement, five “main areas of activity” were identified, which included the “criminalization of pro-Palestine supporters and organizations”, such as activists, artists, politicians, and students.

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“It remains the most frequently used way to suppress public gatherings and actors, often by inciting law enforcement agencies against them,” the non-profit organization said.

Censorship was also included as an area of concern, with the IHRC highlighting that “strict guidelines have been provided by the various Ministers of Education or other relevant government actors to schools and universities on how to discuss the situation in Palestine,” forbidding visibly wearing relevant clothing, such as the keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

‘Anti-Extremism Policies’

The IHRC said that “anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies and legislation under consideration will strengthen draconian policies already in force, especially in the areas of citizenship, migratory flows management, monitoring of CSO’s and the restriction of individuals’ political rights.”

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It pointed out that many Muslim organizations are routinely subjected to targeted vilification campaigns by sections of the media and politicians in a bid to discredit them and frustrate their work.

“But paradoxically, such policies also end up targeting and accusing of antisemitism many Jews and Jewish groups who often work with Muslim CSOs in their pro-Palestinian activism and solidarity work,” the organization said.

The IHRC reports are available to download: Part One and Part Two.

(PC, MEMO)