Steps taken to legalize Islamophobia in Europe
The European Islamophobia Report 2020 includes attempts to legalize anti-Islamism in many countries of the continent.
Turkish-German University Faculty Member Assoc. In the European Islamophobia Report 2020, prepared by Enes Bayraklı and Professor Farid Hafez from Georgetown University, anti-Islamic events and discourses in the countries of the region over the past year were discussed.
The report, contributed by 37 academics from various countries, examined the course of Islamophobia in 31 countries, mostly in Europe.
The report compiled the practices of some governments in Europe that discriminate against Muslims and the attempts of far-right politicians to legalize anti-Islamism.
Muslim organizations “placing” center established in Austria
In this context, the Austrian government established a “documentation center” in July 2020 to “plagiarize” Muslim organizations in the country.
Detailed information such as the ruling centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Green Party, the Political Islam Documentation Center established under the leadership of the coalition government, the umbrella association of various organizations such as over 600 mosques and education centers belonging to Muslims, their world views, managers and addresses. He shared a digital map called “Islam-Landkarte” with the public.
Professor at the University of Vienna. Dr. Various segments, reacting to the work prepared by the team led by Ednan Aslan, stated that the digital map shows Muslims as potential criminals, resembles a kind of filing, and the government, overwhelmed by corruption investigations, is once again trying to manipulate the society through Muslims as a way out.
Turkish-born judge in Germany suspended from duty for wearing a headscarf during a trial
In Belgium, the Constitutional Court ruled in June 2020 that it is legal to ban political and religious symbols, especially the headscarf, in higher education institutions under the name of “impartiality”.
A special court in Bulgaria charged Muslim wrestler Mohammed Abdulkadir “of engaging in terrorist activities” on the grounds that he shared photos of himself in military uniform in Syria in 2016.
In Denmark, the far-right Danish People’s Party submitted a bill to the parliament to ban the Muslim headscarf in all public buildings. The bill was rejected in a parliamentary vote.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s party submitted a bill to the National Assembly that would ban girls under the age of 18 from wearing the hijab in public.
In Germany, a judge of Turkish origin was suspended from office for wearing a headscarf during a trial.
Construction of religious schools banned in Sweden
In Italy, the Milan Court of Appeals, with its decision in October 2020, authorized the posting of visual warnings in health buildings to prohibit women from wearing the burqa.
Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Freedom Party in the Netherlands, made several legal attempts last year to ban the headscarf and victim slaughter.
Speaking to the national press in Sweden, Education Minister Anna Ekström announced that “the government has decided to ban the construction of new religious schools” as a result of the discussions on the establishment of Muslim schools in the country.
Jean-Luc Addor, a member of the National Council of Switzerland’s lower house, defended the idea that the headscarf and other Islamic symbols cannot be tolerated in public buildings and proposed to the council to submit a bill to ban the headscarf.
