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Sharp rise in anti-Muslim discrimination: EU human rights agency – News

Matte Jr
Sharp rise in anti-Muslim discrimination: EU human rights agency – News

View of Liverpool Queen Elizabeth II's courts after two men, John O'Malley, 43, and William Nelson Morgan, 69, were sentenced to two years and eight months for violent disorder during anti-Muslim riots following the murder of three girls in northwest England, in Liverpool, Great Britain, on August 8, 2024. – Reuters

View of Liverpool Queen Elizabeth II’s courts after two men, John O’Malley, 43, and William Nelson Morgan, 69, were sentenced to two years and eight months for violent disorder during anti-Muslim riots following the murder of three girls in northwest England, in Liverpool, Great Britain, on August 8, 2024. – Reuters

Muslims in Europe face “increasing racism and discrimination”, the EU’s human rights agency said on Thursday, noting a “sharp increase” even before the Hamas attack on Israel caused “a rise in anti-Israeli hatred”. Muslim”.

Several EU countries have reported an increase in anti-Muslim as well as anti-Semitic acts since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, which then launched a retaliatory offensive in Gaza, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). ).


“We are aware of reports from several EU countries which highlight a rise in anti-Muslim hatred – as well as anti-Semitism – following the Hamas attacks,” FRA spokeswoman Nicole Romain told AFP.

But even before that, a new FRA report shows that “it was getting harder to be a Muslim in the EU”.






Almost one in two Muslims in the EU faces racism and discrimination in their everyday lives, “a sharp increase” from the 39 percent the FRA found in the last edition of its survey in 2016.

The highest rates were recorded in Austria, Germany and Finland.

“We are witnessing a worrying rise in racism and discrimination against Muslims in Europe,” said FRA Director Sirpa Rautio.

“This is fueled by conflicts in the Middle East and exacerbated by the dehumanizing anti-Muslim rhetoric we see across the continent,” Rautio added.

More than 9,600 Muslims in 13 EU countries were surveyed between October 2021 and October 2022.

“Muslim women, men and children are targeted not only because of their religion, but also because of the color of their skin and ethnic or immigrant background,” FRA noted.

Young EU-born Muslims and women who wear religious clothing are especially affected, he added.

The research noted an increase in anti-Muslim racism, particularly in the job market, with a “repercussion effect on other areas of life, such as housing, education or health.”

Two in five, or 41 percent, are overqualified for their job, compared to 22 people overall, FRA said.

A third of Muslim respondents’ households struggle to make ends meet, compared to 19 percent of households overall, and are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing, FRA added.

Around 26 million Muslims live in the EU, representing around five percent of the EU’s total population, the FRA said, citing the most up-to-date estimates available for 2016 from the Pew Research Centre.

The majority live in France and Germany.

The number of Muslims in the EU has increased “significantly in recent years due to people fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria”, the FRA added.

In July, the FRA said in a report that Europe’s Jewish community was facing a “rising tide of anti-Semitism”, with the conflict in the Middle East “eroding” progress made in the fight against it.



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