What does the EP do against Islamophobia?
As 2016 draws to an end, the EU, the European Parliament (EP) and the national parliaments are on holiday. The politicians of EU countries are now enjoying Christmas. The Muslims living in EU countries, on the other hand, are distressed about the possibility of an attack against their mosques, associations or houses in the final days of 2016. The Christmas joy unfortunately does not apply to European Muslims.
Throughout 2016, the attacks on mosques and Muslim associations in EU countries have increased. Such racist attacks have climbed to violent levels. In 2016, a total of 60 mosques have been attacked in France alone, while 54 have been attacked in Germany and 21 in Sweden. The numbers in these three major EU countries are alarming. Moreover, Islamophobic and racist slogans such as "Muslims get out" have been written on mosque walls. According to the answer given to a parliamentary question by the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany (Bundeskriminalamt), a total of 26 attacks were organized on mosques in July, August and September this year. The attacks mostly took place in the states of Saxony, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2015, a total of 75 attacks were organized on mosques in Germany. Some 27 of them occurred during the last three months of 2015, meaning these incidents greatly increased toward the end of 2015 and through 2016.
In spite of all this, EU policy mechanisms keep ignoring the problem. Rather than discussing Islamophobia, Parliaments of some EU countries conducted exacting debates in 2016 about Islamic clothing. While the required measures needed against the islamophobia attacks were not taken and many countries remained indifferent, legal pressures on the dress of Muslim women increased. EU politicians exerted much more effort on the clothing issue, and thereby demonstrated the relatively little importance they attached to guaranteeing the safety of Muslims. Endeavoring to issue resolutions against Turkey and making baseless and obnoxious remarks against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a beloved figure to many Muslims, the EP condoned Islamophobia, which is a growing threat in the EU, particularly against democracy.
For some reason, the EP did not make any solid effort against Islamophobia when it organized meetings, exhibitions, press conferences and various other activities by cooperating with the members or proponents of several terrorist groups that are accountable for hundreds of casualties in Turkey throughout 2016. Those EP members who delivered long speeches against Turkey deliberately or under the influence of false propaganda did not show the same effort with regards to Islamophobia.
Those requesting the omission of the outlawed PKK from the EU's list of recognized terrorist groups did not make any request with regard to the racist attacks on mosques. Moreover, the PKK militants were also engaged in such attacks against Muslims. Some mosques and Muslim associations were attacked both by racists and PKK militants.
Rewarding a journalist who is affiliated with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which attempted to stage a coup in Turkey, some EP members and groups behaved recklessly regarding the attacks on Muslims.
It seems that for the EP, Islamophobia did not constitute a danger in 2016. The same attitude is also seen in the national parliaments of EU countries.
Unfortunately, millions of Muslims living in Europe have been disappointed on that matter. Even the center parties with a Muslim electorate were engaged in discussions on Islamic clothing and issued resolutions demanding bans on items of Islamic dress instead of dealing with Islamophobia.
However, racist tendencies constitute the main factor that threatens democracy in the EU.
In 2017, several important elections are to be held in the EU, and Muslims are already concerned about that. They have good reason to be concerned since it is getting harder to guarantee the safety of Muslims as the racist parties increase their number of seats in the parliaments of countries such as France and Germany. Serious steps on the matter in 2017 need to be taken before it is too late to protect EU democracy. The measures that could be taken against Islamophobia must be negotiated both at the EP and national parliaments and steps must be taken in this respect. European Muslims are rightfully expecting measures that will protect them.
Throughout 2016, the attacks on mosques and Muslim associations in EU countries have increased. Such racist attacks have climbed to violent levels. In 2016, a total of 60 mosques have been attacked in France alone, while 54 have been attacked in Germany and 21 in Sweden. The numbers in these three major EU countries are alarming. Moreover, Islamophobic and racist slogans such as "Muslims get out" have been written on mosque walls. According to the answer given to a parliamentary question by the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany (Bundeskriminalamt), a total of 26 attacks were organized on mosques in July, August and September this year. The attacks mostly took place in the states of Saxony, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2015, a total of 75 attacks were organized on mosques in Germany. Some 27 of them occurred during the last three months of 2015, meaning these incidents greatly increased toward the end of 2015 and through 2016.
In spite of all this, EU policy mechanisms keep ignoring the problem. Rather than discussing Islamophobia, Parliaments of some EU countries conducted exacting debates in 2016 about Islamic clothing. While the required measures needed against the islamophobia attacks were not taken and many countries remained indifferent, legal pressures on the dress of Muslim women increased. EU politicians exerted much more effort on the clothing issue, and thereby demonstrated the relatively little importance they attached to guaranteeing the safety of Muslims. Endeavoring to issue resolutions against Turkey and making baseless and obnoxious remarks against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a beloved figure to many Muslims, the EP condoned Islamophobia, which is a growing threat in the EU, particularly against democracy.
For some reason, the EP did not make any solid effort against Islamophobia when it organized meetings, exhibitions, press conferences and various other activities by cooperating with the members or proponents of several terrorist groups that are accountable for hundreds of casualties in Turkey throughout 2016. Those EP members who delivered long speeches against Turkey deliberately or under the influence of false propaganda did not show the same effort with regards to Islamophobia.
Those requesting the omission of the outlawed PKK from the EU's list of recognized terrorist groups did not make any request with regard to the racist attacks on mosques. Moreover, the PKK militants were also engaged in such attacks against Muslims. Some mosques and Muslim associations were attacked both by racists and PKK militants.
Rewarding a journalist who is affiliated with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which attempted to stage a coup in Turkey, some EP members and groups behaved recklessly regarding the attacks on Muslims.
It seems that for the EP, Islamophobia did not constitute a danger in 2016. The same attitude is also seen in the national parliaments of EU countries.
Unfortunately, millions of Muslims living in Europe have been disappointed on that matter. Even the center parties with a Muslim electorate were engaged in discussions on Islamic clothing and issued resolutions demanding bans on items of Islamic dress instead of dealing with Islamophobia.
However, racist tendencies constitute the main factor that threatens democracy in the EU.
In 2017, several important elections are to be held in the EU, and Muslims are already concerned about that. They have good reason to be concerned since it is getting harder to guarantee the safety of Muslims as the racist parties increase their number of seats in the parliaments of countries such as France and Germany. Serious steps on the matter in 2017 need to be taken before it is too late to protect EU democracy. The measures that could be taken against Islamophobia must be negotiated both at the EP and national parliaments and steps must be taken in this respect. European Muslims are rightfully expecting measures that will protect them.