Tony Blair to take on new role to fight extremism, anti-Semitism: media

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is to head an organization which campaigns against European extremism and anti-Semitism.

Blair will become chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR), which calls for tough new laws to tackle racism and discrimination in the name of religion, the Times newspaper reported Thursday.

Last week, Blair announced that he would step down this month as Middle East peace envoy for the Quartet of the United States, United Nations, Russian and the European Union (EU), a role he has held for eight years since he stepped down as British prime minister in 2007.

"It is our firm belief that it is not religion or faith per se that causes or foments conflicts. It is the abuse of religion, which then becomes a mask behind which those bent on death and destruction all too often hide," Blair wrote in a article published by the Times Thursday.

The article, coauthored with ECTR President and Jewish philanthropist Moshe Kantor, said that the issues "demand greater tolerance, understanding and legislative powers to achieve a solution."

"The ECTR plays a crucial role when it comes to education, dialogue and championing appropriate legislation," they said.

The article noted that the ECTR "brings together parties and political leaders who have been at the heart of some of the world's most difficult conflicts to foster dialogue." Endit