Strengthening Efforts to Combat Anti-Muslim Discrimination: A Collaborative Meeting
Racism, intolerance, and discrimination against Muslims remain significant issues in European societies, exacerbated by recent geopolitical events. Reports indicate a surge in threats to the rights and freedoms of Muslim communities since October 7, 2023, with increased physical and verbal attacks making many feel unsafe. These challenges underscore the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address discrimination and promote equality.
The Meeting’s Purpose
To tackle these pressing issues, the European Commission’s Coordinator on Combating Anti-Muslim Hatred, and Equinet organized a joint meeting aimed at enhancing cooperation between Equality Bodies and civil society organizations. This meeting served as a platform for sharing experiences, discussing challenges, and developing strategies to combat anti-Muslim discrimination effectively.
The meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule.
This means that participants are free to use the information received at the meeting, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
Objectives of the Meeting
The primary goal was to explore and exchange the work of National Equality Bodies on addressing discrimination and intolerance against Muslims. Specific objectives included:
- Understanding Anti-Muslim Hatred: Explore the phenomenon of anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination to better understand its manifestations and its impact on victims.
- Sharing Good Practices: Discuss challenges and share good practices in the field identified by equality bodies, with a particular focus on communication and awareness-raising.
- Fighting Hate Speech: Identify possible ways to fight against hate speech and the normalisation of anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination based on the shared experience of equality bodies.
- Building Trust: Identify strategies on how to build trust in equality bodies to face the challenges of the underreporting of discrimination against Muslims.