Worried rights activists have voiced their concerns about inaction from the EU to tackle Islamophobia.
EU Observer reported that several rights groups condemned the EU’s inaction to tackle Islamophobia, including what they described as “opposition” to create an International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The groups also accused the French EU presidency, which concludes at the end of this month, of failing to address the widspread of discriminations against Muslim minorities in Europe.
The groups believe that Muslims are a “primary target” for political parties and “violent far rights movements alike,” denouncing the marginialisation and discrimination of Muslims in Europe.
Earlier this year, the European Islamophobia Report found that Islamophobia has worsened, if not reached a tipping point in Europe.
Taking into account data from 2020, the report showed that Islamophobia “moved to the private sphere and is being spread especially in social media” during COVID-19.
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The report identified the significant increase in Islamophobic attacks in Germany, showing that 901 Islamophobic crimes were committed in Germany in 2020.
About 146 incidents targeted mosques while 48 extremists targeted Muslim people.
France is another country where Islamophobia is prevalent in most political parties, mainstreaming far-right discourse in order to win votes.
“French and Austrian Muslims have been left in the hands of brutal state violence that has been legitimated in the name of counterterrorism laws,” the report said.
The report also pointed to France’s new law seeking to fight “Islamist separatistm,” as a key example of blatant mainstream Islamophobia.
In several overviews and reports, the EU acknowledged the persistent intolerance and hatred Muslims face in Europe.
The EU also acknowledged that structural forms of discrimination impact access to employment or education, particulalry for women with a Muslim background.
