The European Islamophobia Report 2023 exposes the deep-rooted and systemic nature of anti-Muslim racism across Europe, revealing its impact through discriminatory laws, hate crimes, and the erosion of fundamental rights, while calling for urgent action to dismantle these entrenched injustices.
The newly revealed report touches on numerous issues and calls on European governments to adopt measures to combat Islamophobia.
EIR 2023 stands out as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers, and civil society, delivering comprehensive insights and practical strategies to tackle Islamophobia effectively.
The report noted that even though the United Nations declared an International Day to Combat Islamophobia, only Spain designated such a day, with no other European government recognizing it in 2023.
In March, Pakistan spearheaded the resolution, signaling a united front among Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in tackling Islamophobia on the international stage.
The resolution calls for the appointment of a U.N. special envoy to combat Islamophobia. It further urges member states to take decisive action against religious intolerance, particularly targeting Islamophobia.
It also requests the U.N. secretary-general submit a report on the implementation of the measures and efforts to combat Islamophobia at the General Assembly this fall.
Ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza exacerbated anti-Muslim rhetoric in Europe, wrongly portraying solidarity with Palestine as extremism, prohibiting protests and other restrictive measures imposed in Germany, France and Denmark, the report said.
For instance, senior figures at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, have been accused of fostering a culture of fear and bias among journalists covering Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
At least 13 current staff and freelancers, along with a former correspondent have said that the network leans pro-Israel, with some alleging Islamophobic and dehumanizing remarks about Palestinians are tolerated in its Berlin newsroom, according to the Qatar-based Al Jazeera.
Internal documents obtained by Al Jazeera included a DW style guide explicitly barring the use of "Palestine" in coverage, stating the term “has not yet gained the status of a state.”
Another document reportedly offered “comebacks" for anchors to counter "pro-Palestinian voices" during interviews, such as reminding guests that allegations of Israeli war crimes require adjudication by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
There has also been a surge in hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims in 2023, especially in Greece, Spain and Norway.
The report also highlighted the issue of institutional discrimination, in which the legal and educational systems foster bias against Muslims.
The EIR 2023 called on European countries to take a multidimensional approach to tackle the issue of Islamophobia.
Accordingly, the report said European governments must fully recognize Islamophobia as a systemic problem, strengthen their legal framework to combat hate crimes and discrimination, and boost monitoring and accountability for media and social media outlets to prevent the dissemination of hate speech and disinformation. It also highlighted the importance of increased efforts by non-governmental organizations to fight anti-Muslim rhetoric and promote inclusivity.
