Israel-Palestine dispute increased anti-Muslim hatred in Europe: EU commission coordinator

By Selen Valente

BRUSSELS (AA) - The coordinator on combating anti-Muslim hatred for the EU Commission told Anadolu the Israel-Palestine war has affected the increase in antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe.

Marion Lalisse said anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise in Europe, emphasizing the need for documenting cases and raising awareness for effective combat.

"There is no hierarchy among types of racism and discrimination for us. Both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred have been addressed together in the EU Commission's 2020-2025 action plan against racism so far," she said.

Lalisse, who took office last February, said the biggest challenge she has faced in one year was insufficient reporting and recording anti-Muslim hate incidents in Europe.

"We must allocate the trust of our Muslim citizens to law enforcement. Working with data, understanding the extent of anti-Muslim hate fully poses a significant challenge for both my predecessors and me," she said.

Lalisse also pointed out another challenge to establish a network among EU member states and emphasized the necessity of such an organization for collecting data on cases and sharing good practices to combat them.

She highlighted progress in reaching out to the entire Muslim community, raising awareness of the discrimination they face and increasing sharing among EU countries.

Noting that in cases of physical or verbal anti-Muslim hatred, citizens had the right to file a lawsuit in member states and indicated that the first authority to be contacted is the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.

- Ban of headscarves

Lalisse, evaluating the ruling of the ECJ in November 2023 regarding the possibility for authorities to enforce a ban on headscarves, stated: "If this rule is applied to all administrative staff in a general and non-discriminatory manner, it can be considered legitimate within the framework of neutrality policy. So, this ban pertains to all religious symbols."

She noted that she is in contact with municipalities and engages in discussions about which practices in workplaces constitute discrimination and which are legitimate measures.

Regarding attacks on the Quran, she emphasized that they were actions of provocations, aggressive and disrespectful to Muslim citizens and Muslims around the world.