Muslims in Europe face ever more racism and discrimination
One in two Muslims in the EU face racism and discrimination in their daily life – a sharp rise since 2016. Muslim women, men and children are targeted not just because of their religion, but also because of their skin colour and ethnic or immigrant background. Young Muslims born in the EU and women wearing religious clothing are especially affected. These are some of the findings of the latest report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
A common story
The entire front of the house was covered with them. Discriminatory slogans such as ‘Freaking muslims’ and white power symbols. Ahmed from The Hague received anything but a warm welcome in what was to be his new home. A recent European report shows that he is far from the only Muslim in the Netherlands who has to deal with discrimination.
Ahmed (53) had been looking for a new home for thirteen years. Every now and then he was offered something, but nothing that really suited him, his wife and their children. Until he was offered a home just outside The Hague in Nootdorp a month ago. A quieter place, something he especially liked for his children.
In the meantime, Ahmed has not found a new home and the house that was defaced has been cleaned and rented to another home seeker. “It was taken away from us right in front of our eyes. By people who did not want us. I have lived in the Netherlands for 46 years, but I have never experienced anything like this.”
Pushed down the stairs
Ahmed’s story is not unique. According to the recently published report Being Muslim in the EU, produced by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, at least half of Dutch Muslims have experienced discrimination in the past year. Well above the European average of 38 percent.
Recently, Turkish-Dutch Cemile Telli (82) was also assaulted by her neighbor in The Hague. There was also a racist motive, her son Ali told RTL Nieuws. The police cannot confirm this yet and are investigating the case, but the Turkish and Islamic community is very scared. “The neighbor banged on the door several times. When my mother opened the door, she immediately started hitting my mother. She was pushed down the stairs into the porch and called a cancer Turk.”
Telli was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she had to stay for several days with multiple fractures in her ribs and nose. “At the moment, she still has pain in her ribs when she breathes,” says Ali. “And she is afraid of course. Afraid of running into her again. So if she goes outside, I will go with her.”
Adem Çatbaş, Telli’s lawyer, says: “We are doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this case. We will hold every party who may have made mistakes in this case liable. For now, we are waiting for the police investigation. My client hopes that everyone – including Muslims – can live in peace in this country.”
Rabin Baldewsingh, the Dutch National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism, is shocked by the incidents and the European report. “But I am not surprised. As far as I am concerned, the incidents are exemplary of the scale and intensity of Muslim discrimination in our country. You can see that in the report. Muslim hatred is increasing and has become normal. Look at the anti-Semitic incidents in Amsterdam this week. The Netherlands is reacting to them very strongly and rightly so. But I do not see that with Muslim discrimination. We should not apply double standards.”
“We should be concerned,” Baldewsingh continues. “More than half of Muslims say they have experienced discrimination and there is no panic or horror about it. This tells me that Muslim discrimination has become normalized. It has grown to epidemic proportions. These are no longer isolated incidents.”
‘Explosively increased’
DENK MP Doğukan Ergin calls it ‘horrible that someone is confronted with Muslim hatred when viewing their dream home’. “Muslim hatred has increased explosively and is reaching unprecedented proportions. For some time now, I have been advocating from the House of Representatives for additional measures to combat Muslim hatred.”
A request from Ergin for a debate in the House of Representatives on violence against Muslims was rejected last week.
