VIENNA: Muslims in Europe are facing “ever more racism and discrimination,” the EU rights agency said Thursday, noting a “sharp rise” even before the Hamas attack against Israel caused “a spike in anti-Muslim hatred.”
Several EU nations have reported a rise in anti-Muslim, as well as anti-Semitic acts since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, which then launched a retaliatory offensive on Gaza, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
“We are aware of reports from several EU countries, highlighting a spike in anti-Muslim hatred — as well as anti-Semitism — after the Hamas attacks,” FRA spokeswoman Nicole Romain said.
But even before then, a new FRA report shows “it was getting more difficult to be a Muslim in the EU.”
Nearly one in two Muslims in the EU face racism and discrimination in their daily life, “a sharp rise” from 39 percent FRA found in the last edition of its survey in 2016.
The highest rates were recorded in Austria, Germany and Finland.
“We are witnessing a worrying surge in racism and discrimination against Muslims in Europe,” FRA director Sirpa Rautio said.
“This is fueled by conflicts in the Middle East and made worse by the dehumanizing anti-Muslim rhetoric we see across the continent,” Rautio added.
More than 9,600 Muslims in 13 EU countries were surveyed between October 2021 and October 2022.
“Muslim women, men and children are targeted not just because of their religion, but also because of their skin color and ethnic or immigrant background,” FRA noted.
Young Muslims born in the EU and women wearing religious clothing are especially affected, it added.
The survey noted a surge in anti-Muslim racism most notably in the job market with a “knock-on effect on other areas of life, such as housing, education or health care.”
Two in five, or 41 percent, are overqualified for their job compared to 22 of people generally, FRA said.
A third of Muslim respondents’ households struggle to make ends meet compared to 19 percent of households generally, and they are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing, FRA added.
About 26 million Muslims live in the EU, making up about five percent of the total EU population, FRA said, citing the most up-to-date estimates available for 2016 from the Pew Research Center.
Most live in France and Germany.
The number of Muslims in the EU has increased “significantly in recent years due to people fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria,” FRA added.
In July, FRA said in a report that Europe’s Jewish community was facing a “rising tide of anti-Semitism,” with the conflict in the Middle East “eroding” progress made in the fight against it.
‘Sharp rise’ in anti-Muslim discrimination: EU rights agency
https://arab.news/mc9rg
‘Sharp rise’ in anti-Muslim discrimination: EU rights agency
- Several EU nations have reported a rise in anti-Muslim, as well as anti-Semitic acts since Oct. 7, 2023
- Nearly one in two Muslims in the EU face racism and discrimination in their daily life
Ukraine to give revised peace plans to US as Kyiv readies for more talks with its coalition partners
Ukraine to give revised peace plans to US as Kyiv readies for more talks with its coalition partners
- Ukraine’s European allies are backing Zelensky’s effort to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks.
- The French government said Ukraine’s allies — dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” — will discuss the negotiations Thursday by video
KYIV: Ukraine is expected to hand its latest peace proposals to US negotiators Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, a day ahead of his urgent talks with leaders and officials from about 30 other countries supporting Kyiv’s effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms.
As tension builds around US President Donald Trump’s push for a settlement and calls for an election in Ukraine, Zelensky said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners can guarantee safe balloting during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered.
Washington’s goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022 is reducing Kyiv’s room for maneuvering. Zelensky is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to make some compromises.
Ukraine’s European allies are backing Zelensky’s effort to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks.
The French government said Ukraine’s allies — dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” — will discuss the negotiations Thursday by video. Zelensky said it would include those countries’ leaders.
“We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. And it’s not easy, but nevertheless we will do it,” he said late Tuesday.
Zelensky’s openness to an election was a response to comments by Trump in which he questioned Ukraine’s democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to stand before voters. Those comments echo similar remarks often made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky told reporters late Tuesday he is “ready” for an election but would need help from the US and possibly Europe to ensure its security. He suggested Ukraine could be ready to hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met.
“To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security — how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military — how they would vote,” Zelensky said.
“And the second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections,” he said.
Previously, Zelensky had pointed out that a ballot can’t legally take place while martial law — imposed due to Russia’s invasion — is in place. He has also asked how a vote could happen when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombarded by Russia and almost 20 percent of the country is under Moscow’s occupation.
Zelensky said he has asked lawmakers from his party to draw up legislative proposals allowing for an election while Ukraine is under martial law.
Ukrainians have on the whole supported Zelensky’s arguments, and have not clamored for an election. Under the law that is in force, Zelensky’s rule is legitimate.
Putin has repeatedly complained that Zelensky can’t legitimately negotiate a peace settlement because his five-year term that began in 2019 has expired.
US seeks closer ties with Russia
A new US national security strategy released Dec. 5 made it clear that Trump wants to improve Washington’s relationship with Moscow and “reestablish strategic stability with Russia.”
The document also portrays European allies as weak.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised Trump’s role in the Ukraine peace effort, saying in a speech to the upper house of parliament that Moscow appreciates his “commitment to dialogue.” Trump, Lavrov said, is “the only Western leader” who shows “an understanding of the reasons that made war in Ukraine inevitable.”
Trump’s peace efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.
The initial US proposal was heavily slanted toward Russia’s demands. To counter that, Zelensky has turned to his European supporters.
Zelensky met this week with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London, the heads of NATO and the European Union in Brussels, and then to Rome to meet the Italian premier and Pope Leo XIV.
Zelensky said three documents were being discussed with American and European partners — a 20-point framework document that is constantly changing, a document on security guarantees, and a document about Ukraine’s recovery.
Military aid for Ukraine declines
Europe’s support is uneven, however, and that has meant a decrease in military aid since the Trump administration this year cut off supplies to Kyiv unless they were paid for by other NATO countries.
Foreign military help for Ukraine fell sharply over the summer, and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international help for Ukraine said Wednesday.
Average annual aid, mostly provided by the US and Europe, was about 41.6 euros billion ($48.4 billion) between 2022–24. But so far this year Ukraine has received just 32.5 billion euros ($37.8 billion), the Kiel Institute said.
“If this slower pace continues in the remaining months (of the year), 2025 will become the year with the lowest level of new aid allocations” since the war began, it said.
This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have substantially increased their help for Ukraine, while Germany nearly tripled its average monthly allocations and France and the UK both more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.
On the other hand, it said, Spain recorded no new military aid for Kyiv in 2025 while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15 percent compared with 2022–2024.
