Addressing Islamophobia in the European Union: A Bipartisan Issue

News:

Islamophobia in Europe has become a growing concern, particularly heightened by recent events in Gaza. Both far-right and mainstream political parties significantly influence this phenomenon, prompting the European Union (EU) to investigate and address anti-Muslim sentiments and discrimination.

Comment:

The European Union has urged member states to combat anti-Muslim bias and ensure the safety of Muslim communities. Despite these efforts, structural Islamophobia remains pervasive, with Muslims facing discrimination in employment, harassment, and biased policies. The Council of Europe's Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has reported an increase in hate incidents against Muslims, especially targeting Muslim women. Additionally, the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has called for regular data publication on racist incidents and emphasized the need for anti-racism training.

The rise of far-right political parties has played a crucial role in normalizing Islamophobic sentiments in Europe. Parties like France's National Rally (RN), Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), and the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) have capitalized on anti-Muslim rhetoric to gain political traction. These groups have proposed extreme measures, such as banning the Qur'an and closing mosques, and have used fear-mongering tactics to rally support. This overt hostility towards Islam has significantly contributed to the rise of Islamophobia across the continent.

However, Islamophobia is not limited to far-right parties; it is also perpetuated by mainstream political factions, including centrists and leftists. These groups often cloak their anti-Islam policies in secularism and identity politics. For example, in Germany, the Social Democrat/Green alliance has been criticized for blaming the Muslim community for rising anti-Semitism, causing concern among German Muslims. In France, the anti-separatism law has imposed harsh regulations on Muslim organizations and expanded bans on religious symbols, disproportionately targeting Muslim communities.

So, while the far-right's Islamophobia is overt, the left's approach involves identity politics, subtly aiming to reshape Muslim identities and limit religious expression. This secular approach restricts Muslims' ability to practice their faith freely, under the guise of maintaining secular values. These tactics, while less obvious, are equally damaging and reflect a deep-seated bias against Islam.

This makes EU’s combating anti-Islam not credible. The deep-seated biases against Islam within European societies have been fed and nurtured for quite some time. This makes the rise of anti-Islam sentiments in Europe a bipartisan issue, with both far-right and mainstream political groups contributing to the problem. The far-right's overt hostility and the mainstream's subtle restrictions on religious practices both pose significant challenges to Muslims. The EU's efforts to monitor anti-Islamic incidents must be viewed through this lens, creating a false sense of security among Muslims, masking the reality of persistent discrimination instead of genuinely addressing the needs of Muslim communities.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands