Month: May 2021

A year on from the murder of George Floyd which inspired a global movement to tackle racism, the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Students Organisations launches our Action Plan to address the realities of racism in our organisation and communities.  

FEMYSO’s 24th General Assembly passed a motion titled ‘Black Lives Matter’ mandating FEMYSO to make an active effort to uplift and support initiatives to tackle anti-black racism both externally in wider society but also internally within Muslim communities, mandating our Executive Committee to produce an Action Plan in order to proactively address anti-blackness and racism.  

A working group was convened, and an Action Plan was put in place to ensure the topic is addressed internally, while simultaneously working to initiate the conversation and awareness within our Member Organisation and amongst Muslim youth across Europe.  

As a first proactive step, a comprehensive anti-black racism awareness training will be a compulsory requirement for the Executive Committee and all project and team leads – these training sessions will be open to all members of Team FEMYSO, with attendance encouraged. In these sessions, we will explore definitions, privilege and responsibilities, racial biases and micro-aggressions – providing guidance to identify specific forms of racial discrimination in all settings.  

As a next step the awareness training will be offered to the Member Organisations of FEMYSO to ensure that these learnings can be implemented at the grassroots level.  

As an organisation, we will also endeavour to ensure that our online platforms are utilised to uplift and disseminate narratives which seek to address anti-black racism in a public sense, our online programming will actively prioritise the issues of racism and prejudice. 

We will also continue to push for change within European institutions and bodies, advocating for the adoption of policies that actively challenge the systemic exclusion and oppression of black communities in society – centring and providing space for voices from black communities in these efforts. We commend the efforts of the European Parliament’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) and its MEP co-chairs, as well as the European Network Against Racism of which we are proud members.  

FEMYSO stands with communities and organisations fighting for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity. We will continue to work for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

#BlackLivesMatter 

 

[Ends]   

  

Notes  

1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 33 Muslim youth and student organisations across 20 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.  

1. FEMYSO, 3 June 2020. “Black Lives Matter – a message of solidarity and a call for action” https://femyso.org/black-lives-matter-a-message-of-solidarity-and-a-call-for-action/ 

1. FEMYSO, 21 June 2020, “FEMYSO welcomes the European Parliament’s declaration of Black Lives Matter” https://femyso.org/femyso-welcomes-the-european-parliaments-declaration-of-black-lives-matter/ 

1. For more information or requests please email: media@femyso.org 

On the Islamic holiday of ‘Eid al-Fitr, FEMYSO stands by the victims of the Al-Aqsa Mosque violence, the forcefully displaced and dispossessed Palestinians in Jerusalem, and the victims of the Kabul school attack. While this should be a day of celebration and joy, Muslims around the world continue to suffer from tyrannical oppression and continuous violence in their homes.

We are deeply appalled by the violent attack on peaceful worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Worshippers in the Al-Aqsa mosque were hit by stun grenades, tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets which caused more than 250+ injuries, while immense damage was caused to Islam’s third holiest site. This violence followed a continuous process of forced displacement of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli settlers, who left Palestinians without any opportunity to protect their fundamental human rights and their human dignity. During these forceful evictions, more than 840 Palestinians were injured. These are clear acts of violence irreconcilable with international law and human rights, which we firmly underline.

Unfortunately, during Ramadan we also observed the horrific murder of 68 people, of which 50 were young girls, at a bomb attack outside a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, which also left 165 injured. This reprehensible act of violence must not go unnoticed. FEMYSO extends its heartfelt condolences to all victims and their families, and its support to the medics treating the injured.

We call on the Council of Europe, the European Commission, European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and Member States to fulfil their obligations to condemn these acts of aggression and terror against civilians. The rights of the Palestinian people to keep their houses in Sheikh Jarrah, and reaffirm the rights of individuals to peacefully and freely worship at the holy site of the Al-Aqsa mosque which must be unequivoically respected and protected.

The last days of Ramadan, the most blessed time for all Muslims in the world, end in deep sadness, trauma, horror, disappointment and fear. We share these emotions and the painful suffering of millions of Muslims across the world. 

Whilst praying for the victims of terror in Palestine and Afghanistan, FEMYSO wishes all Muslims around the world a safe, peaceful and blessed ‘Eid al-Fitr. We hear you, we stand by you and we pray for you.

[End]  

Notes 

1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 33 Muslim youth and student organisations across 20 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 
2. Al Jazeera, 7 May 2021. “Scores of Palestinians hurt as Israel police storm Al Aqsa: Live.”https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/7/jerusalem-dozens-of-palestinians-hurt-in-al-aqsa-clashes 
3. Amnesty International, 10 May 2021. “Israel/ OPT: End brutal repression of Palestinians protesting forced displacement in occupied East Jerusalem” https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/05/israel-opt-end-brutal-repression-of-palestinians-protesting-forced-displacement-in-occupied-east-jerusalem/ 
4. Reuters, 9 May 2021. “At least 68 killed in Afghan school blast, families bury victims” https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-school-blast-toll-rises-58-families-bury-victims-2021-05-09/ 
5. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org

FEMYSO strongly condemns the Federal Council of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrat) for a vote which could lead to the erasure of religious symbols from the public sphere. As a pan-European Muslim youth NGO embedded in interfaith and intercultural action, we are appalled by this attack on rights of religious minorities in violation of fundamental freedoms.

On 7 May 2021, Germany marked an unprecedented development by voting in favour of adopting the Clothing Act for Civil Servants (“Erscheinungsbild von Beamtinnen und Beamten”). While this act does not include a specific mention of religious symbols as such and instead defines “symbols reducing trust in their neutrality”, this is in fact nothing less than a loophole on banning religious symbols. It provides a legal mechanism to federal and state authorities to bar public servants from wearing headscarves and kippahs. The decision blatantly disregards the more than 150,000 signatures gathered by German citizens outlining the dangerous nature of this act.

This law comes at a time where Muslims find themselves in the midst of a range of attacks on their freedoms across Europe. In France,we have seen Muslim women and organisations actively being targeted by the French state through the so-called anti-separatism bill, which also entrenches the ban on religious symbols in the public. It would be foolish not to see this move by German legislators as an active effort to mimic tactics used by their French counterparts, weaponizing discrimination against minorities in order to gain politically.  

We are deeply concerned over the far-reaching consequences of this decision which could signal the removal of the presence of Muslims, Jews and other religious minorities from the public sphere – which is at odds with the open and inclusive society we all desire. Therefore, we call on the German legislators to revise their decision and particularly invite the German President not to sign and pass this legislation. Both should explicitly protect the wearing of religious symbols by public servants according to the fundamental right of the freedom of religion.

FEMYSO will continue working towards a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

[ENDS]  

 

Notes 

1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 33 Muslim youth and student organisations across 20 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

2. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org