PRESS RELEASE | FEMYSO Demands Justice and Structural Change after Racist Murder of 26-year-old Nursing Student in Germany

For immediate release 

Brussels, 16 July 2025

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) expresses its deepest sorrow and outrage following the racist murder of Rahma Ayad, a 26-year-old nursing student of Algerian descent, stabbed to death by her neighbor on Friday, July 4th in Hemmingen, a district of Hanover, Germany. 

Rahma had recently moved to Germany to pursue her studies and career in nursing. She was known by her peers and teachers as caring, dedicated, and ambitious. In the weeks leading up to her murder, Rahma had reportedly faced repeated racist and Islamophobic harassment by the alleged perpetrator; harassment she formally reported to police. No protective measures were taken. 

This brutal crime represents a systemic failure.  

Germany recorded 3,080 anti-Muslim incidents in 2024, a 60% increase from 2023 – revealing two homicides, 198 assaults, and over 70 mosque attacks, with women making up 71% of identifiable victims.  

According to a 2024 report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 68% of Muslims in Germany reported experiencing racial discrimination over the previous five years, compared to the EU average of 47%. 

The unchecked escalation of racist harassment against visible Muslim women has, tragically, turned lethal. Such violence is not random; it is a product of pervasive Islamophobia allowed to fester in European societies. 

FEMYSO calls for the following urgent actions: 

  1. Full recognition of this case as a hate crime under German law, with transparent investigation and prosecution of the alleged perpetrator, the 31-year-old German neighbor now in custody. 
  1. Comprehensive review and overhaul of police and local authority responses to Islamophobic harassment, ensuring early protection for those at risk. 
  1. EU-wide frameworks and institutional support to protect Muslim women who face daily threats and increased racial and Islamophobic targeting, emphasising visibility, safety, and empowerment. 
  1. Support civil society organisations doing vital work to support victims of discrimination and hate crime. 

“Rahma’s murder was not just the act of one individual, it is a direct result of neglect by institutions that repeatedly fail to take Islamophobia seriously and protect Muslim women, migrants, and racialised communities,” said Fjona Nela, FEMYSO’s Head of Campaigns “This cannot continue. Justice must be pursued in this case but systemic change is needed in order to save lives.” 

This tragic death is a stark message: failure by governments to take Islamophobia seriously iş costing lives. FEMYSO demands not just words of condolence, but concrete actions to protect individuals and communities. 

[END] 

NOTES: 

  1. Murder of Algerian woman in Germany prompts protests 
  1. Being Muslim in the EU – Experiences of Muslims 
  1. Anti-Muslim attacks in Germany hit record high in 2024 
  1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network of 32 Muslim youth and student organisations across 22 European countries. It is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.       
  1. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org. 

PRESS RELEASE | #WeRemember95: FEMYSO leads European Delegation to Mark the 30th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide 

Srebrenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 11 July 2025 

Today, on the solemn 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide – a powerful international delegation has converged in Bosnia & Herzegovina. This diverse assembly, comprising youth-led organisations, influential civil society leaders, and dedicated parliamentarians from across Europe, stands united to honour the victims and demand accountability. 

Coordinated by the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), this delegation includes vital representatives from its extensive network of Muslim youth organisations, alongside major civil society powerhouses such as Amnesty International, the European Students’ Union (ESU), the World Student Christian Federation – Europe (WSFC), and the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO). Their presence is further amplified by elected representatives, including UK Member of Parliament Zarah Sultana, lending crucial institutional recognition to these vital remembrance efforts. 

Since 2022, FEMYSO has relentlessly spearheaded the #WeRemember95 campaign. This vital initiative is not merely about remembrance; it is a dynamic movement dedicated to honouring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, relentlessly raising critical awareness across Europe, and advocating tirelessly for its mandatory inclusion in national education systems. 

“This anniversary is not just about remembrance – it is about responsibility”, said Zahra Beg, WeRemember95 project lead. “By bringing together a diverse, interfaith, and intergenerational delegation to stand at Srebrenica, we send a message: that young people across Europe are committed to justice, to fighting genocide denial, and to building a future where such atrocities never happen again.” 

Despite July 11 being established as the annual International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, persistent denial and historical revisionism underscore the urgent need for continued remembrance, justice, and collective responsibility.  The insidious creep of denial and historical revisionism persists. This grim reality underscores the urgent, existential need for unwavering remembrance, relentless pursuit of justice, and profound collective responsibility. 

The Srebrenica genocide stands as a devastating consequence of what happens when people are dehumanised, when hatred is normalised, and when the world looks away. As we mark 30 years since this atrocity, we are reminded that genocide is never a spontaneous act, it is the result of a deliberate process of othering and denial of humanity. 

While this delegation gathers in Bosnia to honour the victims of Srebrenica, we carry with us the painful awareness that dehumanisation continues to fuel atrocities today. From Europe’s past to the present-day suffering caused by the genocide in Gaza. This commemoration is a solemn reminder of our moral obligation: to remember, to speak out, and to act wherever human dignity is under threat. 

[ENDS] 

Notes 

  1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 32 Muslim youth and student organisations across 22 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. For media queries please contact media@femyso.org 

Signatories:  

  1. Asocijacija za kulturu, obrazovanje i sport (AKOS)  
  1. Amnesty International
  1. DiasporaVote 
  1. Diritti Altera 
  1. Etudians Musulmans de France (EMF) 
  1. European Network Against Racism (ENAR) 
  1. European Grassroots Roma Organisations Network (ERGO) 
  1. European Students Union (ESU) 
  1. Giovani Musulmani D’Italia – APS 
  1. Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) 
  1. Migrant Tales 
  1. Moslimstudenten Associatie Nederland 
  1. Muslims in Hungary (MIT) 
  1. Muslim Youth of Gibraltar (MYG) 
  1. Nuorten Musimien Foorumi (NMF) 
  1. Nuoret Muslimit Helsinki ry (NUMU) 
  1. Open Republic – Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia (POLAND) 
  1. RomanoNet 
  1. Roma Active Albania 
  1. TernYpe – International Roma Youth Network 
  1. World Student Christian Federation – Europe (WSCF) 
  1. Zavod Krog