Panel discussion on Islamophobia in Europe organized in Paris

The Perspectives Musulmanes Movement presented a panel discussion Friday in Paris that included Turkish-German University Faculty Member Enes Bayraklı and CAGE UK member Shezana Hafiz.

Bayraklı used instances from the Europe 2021 Islamophobia Report by the group to explain Islamophobia across Europe, particularly in France.

He said that Perspectives Musulmanes Movement, which has been issuing reports about Islamophobia, has been producing studies on the subject in Europe for seven years and have featured politicians associated with Islamophobia on the covers of reports since 2018.

He said the group featured French President Emmanuel Macron, an Islamophobic politician, on the front of last year's report.

Bayraklı drew attention to the institutionalization of Islamophobia in Austria and France, emphasizing that Europe has the highest rate of anti-Islamic prejudice in the world.

He evaluated France as the European country with the most problematic history with the Muslim community on its territory, claiming that 101 security units were established in France to spy on Muslims and more than 24,000 Muslim organizations and companies were registered on a secret blacklist.

Hafiz, a member of the London-based human rights organization dedicated to defending communities harmed in the battle against terrorism, believes state Islamophobia in all forms is nothing more than a kind of authoritarianism.

He highlighted the emergence of far-right and Islamophobic ideas in Europe, noting that Islamophobia is entrenched through politics and laws.

France will extend its Islamophobic policies to neighboring countries, according to Hafiz.

The Presentation of the Findings of the Europe 2021 Islamophobia Report was moderated by human rights activist Maria De Cartena.