Yesterday was a clear reminder of why the European Action Day Against Islamophobia (EADAI) is more necessary than ever. EADAI exists to bring Muslim youth, civil society, policymakers and other stakeholders together to confront Islamophobia and ensure that Muslim youth can participate meaningfully in the civic and democratic life of Europe.
This year’s conference took that conversation further. Moving from the interpersonal to the structural and from opposition to building something better, EADAI 2026 asked what needs to change for Europe to become genuinely diverse, cohesive and anti-racist.
These questions were at the heart of the conference. From “Reimagining ‘Security’ in an Anti-Racist Europe: Who Is Made Secure, and Who Is Made Suspect?”, to “Reimagining Economic Inclusion in Europe: Shared Struggle, Unequal Grounds” and the Youth Anti-Racism Strategy working session, EADAI was about more than opposing Islamophobia. It was about building a Europe where racialised communities can live with dignity, equality, safety and freedom.
There is also a wider context that cannot be ignored. One day before EADAI, AK Polis and CERIF published a report containing a series of allegations and interpretations concerning FEMYSO. FEMYSO rejects the presentation of contested allegations as established facts. Several claims have been challenged, and the report itself acknowledges gaps in the evidence underpinning some of its assertions.
During the event, representatives associated with the the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) attended, participated and were given the opportunity to ask questions. Speakers, panels and the stage could be photographed and filmed. The rule was straightforward: identifiable members of the audience could not be photographed or filmed without their consent. Despite this, audience members were filmed and that material was subsequently published publicly.
This was not an arbitrary restriction. This reflects the wider legal framework protecting the right to image and privacy in Belgium. Belgian law provides, in principle, that permission is required to make, display, communicate or reproduce an identifiable person’s image. It is difficult not to note the double standards of individuals presenting themselves as defenders of “European values” and, at times, as somehow more European than Muslim Europeans, while disregarding the rules and the legal framework of a European country such as Belgium. European values are not a rhetorical tool to be invoked selectively. They include respect for rules, institutions, consent, dignity, equality and the right of all people to participate in public life.
EADAI is a safe space to challenge Islamophobia, question the structures that enable it, and build a vision for a Europe in which everyone can participate equally and live with dignity and freedom. Yesterday did not undermine the need for EADAI. It demonstrated exactly why EADAI is necessary.
FEMYSO remains commited to constructive dialogue and will continue to defend the right of Muslim youth to participate openly, equally and confidently in the civic and democratic life of Europe, to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe for all.
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NOTES:
- 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.
- For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org.