There are major forces within Europe normalising Islamophobia with liberal democracies such as Austria, Denmark, and France amongst the worst culprits, according to a new report.<\/p>\n
The 664-page ‘European Islamophobia Report 2021’ report highlights Islamophobia in employment, education, media, the legal system, and politics in 27 European countries.<\/p>\n
Last year’s report\u00a0focussed on France’s hostility towards Muslims<\/a>. This year, the attention turned to Austria and its former chancellor Sebastian Kurz.<\/p>\n “The Islamophobia becoming normalised and institutionalised by liberal democracies such as Austria, Denmark, and France is alarming,” says the report.<\/p>\n “While the Macron government is continuing with its crackdown on Muslim associations and mosques, many of the measures taken and laws implemented by the Austrian government have been largely defeated by the justice system. Yet, the victims of these policies remain traumatised and left to deal with the repercussions of their haunting experiences,” it adds.<\/p>\n This is the sixth edition of the annual report. For this year’s edition, 35 experts from the academic world and civil society contributed to the coverage of the 27 European countries.<\/p>\n The report says the state of Islamophobia in Europe continues to be problematic, with many policies being further implemented, such as the dissolution of Islamophobia watchdog organisations in France.<\/p>\n “Such developments show the end of a journey, built on Islamophobic exclusions, for politicians,” says the report.<\/p>\n “This is why we have chosen Sebastian Kurz\u2019s portrait for the cover of this year\u2019s edition of the European Islamophobia Report. Kurz, who was hailed as a one-time political wunderkind by domestic Austrian and international media, came to power by making Islam and Muslims his number one target in election campaigns.<\/p>\n “More than that, he was the leader of a conservative government that implemented one anti-Muslim policy after the other, from hijab bans to the closure of mosques. ”<\/p>\n Kurtz was forced to step down at the end of 2021 following allegations of corruption.<\/p>\n The report adds: “His political \u2018career\u2019 can be read as a textbook example of hegemonising Islamophobia and, at the same time, of how empty populism which is essentially built on anti-Muslim racism can end. Sebastian Kurz accumulated immense power by scapegoating and securitising Muslims, which in the end turned out only to be a screen to hide alleged corruption and increasing authoritarianism.”<\/p>\n The persistence of anti-Muslim racism should be seen against the backdrop of the decline of liberal democracy in Europe, according to the report.<\/p>\n Politics remains the essential driver of Islamophobia in Europe, while the internet is a place of wide dissemination of hate speech, it adds.<\/p>\n It says \u2018political Islam\u2019 or the Muslim Brotherhood is a weapon used by Islamophobes to silence and exclude Muslims from the public sphere.<\/p>\n The report does look at some positive trends with several European and international institutions taking small steps towards fighting Islamophobia, such as the UN declaration of 15 March as \u2018International Day to Combat Islamophobia.\u2019<\/p>\n In some countries with a small number of Muslims, like the Czech Republic, the report says there seems to be a trend of decreasing anti-Muslim hate crime and Islamophobic political discourse.<\/p>\n It says this is due to the decreasing relevance of immigration issues compared to 2015, when this trend was at its peak and politicised, and the far right’s attention turning to \u2018covid totalitarianism.\u2019<\/p>\n Based on its findings, the report emphasised three specific recommendations to policymakers and political institutions.<\/p>\n You can read the\u00a0full report here (PDF<\/a>)<\/p>\nAustria & Sebastian Kurz<\/h2>\n
Liberal democracy decline fuels Islamophobia<\/h2>\n
Recommendations<\/h2>\n
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