Category: Statements

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we solemnly honour the six million Jewish lives brutally taken during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of Roma, Sinti, people with disabilities, and countless others who were persecuted and murdered because of who they were. Their suffering and loss stand as one of history’s darkest warnings. 

The Holocaust did not happen overnight. It was the result of hatred allowed to grow; prejudice left unchallenged, and a world that too often looked away. History has repeatedly shown the consequences of such indifference. When discrimination is tolerated and dehumanisation becomes normalised, it can escalate into unimaginable violence. 

Antisemitism and all forms of prejudice are learned, not innate. As UNESCO highlights, education and remembrance are essential tools to challenge hatred and prevent atrocities like the Holocaust and genocides such as Srebrenica. Remembering these tragedies means recognising and confronting the warning signs of hatred, denial, distortion, and indifference. When these forces go unchallenged, they undermine human dignity and create conditions in which atrocities can occur. 

Remembrance, therefore, is not only about honouring the past, but about acting in the present. It is a call to stand against all forms of racism and prejudice, recognising that antisemitism cannot be addressed in isolation from Islamophobia, antigypsyism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, and other forms of discrimination. 

FEMYSO stands in unwavering solidarity with Jewish communities and all those targeted by hate. We reaffirm that “Never Again” is not only a promise to remember the past, but a commitment to act in the present, to defend justice, human rights, and the safety of all. 

[END] 

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.    

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

Brussels, 13 January 2026 

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) strongly rejects and condemns the allegations contained in the report recently published by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group. The report reflects a pattern of ideologically driven narratives that misrepresent Muslim civil society organisations in Europe. Notably, it repeatedly misidentifies FEMYSO as a “federation” rather than a forum, pointing to a broader lack of factual accuracy and an absence of direct engagement with our organisation. 

FEMYSO is a transparent, volunteer-led, and democratically governed civil society organisation that has worked for decades to empower young people, promote civic participation, and uphold fundamental rights across Europe. Our activities, partnerships, and funding are fully disclosed and subject to standard scrutiny and accountability mechanisms. FEMYSO operates in accordance with democratic principles, civic engagement, and social cohesion, and has never been involved in any activity contrary to these values. FEMYSO is fully independent and maintains no political affiliations or ties with any organisation or party. 

The ECR report makes no attempt to consult FEMYSO or to substantiate its claims with verifiable evidence. Instead, it relies on a narrow set of sources that have previously contributed to misleading and Islamophobic narratives. Similar allegations in the past have been amplified through disinformation campaigns rather than objective, evidence-based inquiry. As a result, FEMYSO’s work promoting inclusion, transparency, and constructive civic engagement is either omitted or misrepresented. 

Reports of this nature are not only inaccurate but also socially harmful. By framing Muslim civil society organisations as inherently suspect, they risk legitimising exclusionary policies, discouraging civic participation, and marginalising underrepresented communities. Such narratives contribute to Islamophobia and discrimination, undermining the pluralism and democratic engagement that European institutions claim to uphold. 

FEMYSO remains committed to empowering young people to participate fully in European society and to promoting equality, pluralism, and human rights. We call on European institutions, policymakers, and media actors to exercise due diligence, engage directly with the organisations concerned, and reject fear-based narratives. Attempts to discredit FEMYSO will not deter our work; they only reinforce the importance of defending civic space, inclusion, and social cohesion. 

[END]  

1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 32 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. FEMYSO responds to false allegations on links to Muslim Brotherhood
3. Smear campaign investigation statement 
4. FEMYSO New Yorker statement: https://femyso.org/femyso-new-yorker-statement/
5. Further clarifications on our organisation and its governance can be found on the FAQ page.
6. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) expresses grave concern over the possibility of attacks on the Sumud Flotilla as it nears Gaza, and we demand its protection under international law. This humanitarian mission carries not only vital aid but a powerful message of resistance, dignity, and solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza. 

The world cannot ignore that this flotilla sails as Palestinians in Gaza are subjected to a campaign of destruction that amounts to genocide. Entire families have been erased, vital infrastructure has been obliterated, and an entire population has been pushed to famine and the brink of survival. The international community has a legal and moral duty to act. 

We call on: 

• European governments and parliaments to publicly guarantee safe passage for the Sumud Flotilla, to intervene diplomatically, and to hold Israel to its obligations under maritime law, the Geneva Conventions, and human rights law. 
   

• The European Union and its High Representative to adopt an unequivocal stance in favour of protecting humanitarian access to Gaza, rather than enabling further blockade. 
   

• Civil society organisations and youth movements across Europe to amplify calls for the protection of the flotilla, to mobilise public pressure, and to refuse complicity by silence. 

The Sumud Flotilla is not an act of provocation. It is an act of necessity, in defiance of a blockade that has perpetuated a humanitarian catastrophe. The lives of those aboard the flotilla, and the lives of countless Palestinians awaiting aid, must not be bargained away for geopolitical convenience. 

We have seen several governments across Europe take the long-delayed decision to recognise the State of Palestine. The protection of the Sumud Flotilla is the first test to see whether these decisions were merely symbolic, or whether these governments Europe has finally decided to uphold its stated principle as a leader in human rights. If it fails to act, it will deepen. its complicity in the evils inflicted upon the Palestinian population in Gaza and the wider occupied territories.   

Silence today is complicity tomorrow. FEMYSO stands unwaveringly behind the Sumud Flotilla. We will not rest until Gaza’s borders are open, its people are free, and human dignity is restored. 

Protect the Sumud Flotilla. Protect Gaza. Uphold Justice. 

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. 

2. Comprehensive review and overhaul of police and local authority responses to Islamophobic harassment, ensuring early protection for those at risk. 

3. 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. 

4. 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 

2. Being Muslim in the EU – Experiences of Muslims 

3. Anti-Muslim attacks in Germany hit record high in 2024 

4. 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.       

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

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.    

2. For media queries please contact media@femyso.org 

Signatories:  

1. Asocijacija za kulturu, obrazovanje i sport (AKOS)  

2. Amnesty International

3. DiasporaVote 

4. Diritti Altera 

5. Etudians Musulmans de France (EMF) 

6. European Network Against Racism (ENAR) 

7. European Grassroots Roma Organisations Network (ERGO) 

8. European Students Union (ESU) 

9. Giovani Musulmani D’Italia – APS 

10. Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) 

11. Migrant Tales 

12. Moslimstudenten Associatie Nederland 

13. Muslims in Hungary (MIT) 

14. Muslim Youth of Gibraltar (MYG) 

15. Nuorten Musimien Foorumi (NMF) 

16. Nuoret Muslimit Helsinki ry (NUMU) 

17. Open Republic – Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia (POLAND) 

18. RomanoNet 

19. Roma Active Albania 

20. TernYpe – International Roma Youth Network 

21. World Student Christian Federation – Europe (WSCF) 

22. Zavod Krog 

Strasbourg, 14 June 2025 — The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) strongly condemns the far-right demonstration that took place outside the European Parliament during the European Youth Event (EYE) 2025, targeting our organisation and its members. 

This public attack, led by the youth wing of Identité Libertés and Rassemblement National Jeunes, supported by members of the far-right Patriots alliance, included the active participation of two sitting Members of the European Parliament.  
 
This escalation is not an isolated incident — it is part of a systematic campaign of intimidation and defamation. 

Both in 2021 and 2023, FEMYSO was similarly targeted during the European Youth Event with far-right actors attempting to discredit our presence and silence our voices. These repeated attacks make it clear that this is not about legitimate political disagreement — it is about the deliberate exclusion of Muslim youth from European civic space. 

“When elected officials stand shoulder to shoulder with hate groups outside the very institutions tasked with safeguarding democracy, we must recognise it for what it is: a direct assault on civic participation, inclusion, and European values,” said Hania Chalal, President of FEMYSO. 

FEMYSO has, for almost 30 years, represented thousands of young European Muslims committed to democratic engagement, inclusion, and the fight against discrimination. Our presence at the European Youth Event, hosted by the European Parliament, is not only legitimate — it is essential. 

This coordinated campaign sends a chilling message to racialised and marginalised communities across Europe: that their voices are not welcome. The European Union cannot credibly claim to defend equality and fundamental rights while ignoring the harassment and endangerment of Muslim youth at its own events. 

At a time when young people from across Europe are gathering at the European Parliament to discuss shared futures, it is deeply unjust that Muslim youth must defend their very right to participate. The EU must choose: will it be a space of inclusion and democracy — or one that enables discrimination? 

We call on: 

• The European Parliament to publicly condemn the intimidation of youth participants based on their religion or background; 

• Elected officials and democratic forces to reject the instrumentalisation of Islamophobic narratives for political gain; 

• EU Anti-Muslim hatred Coordinator to urgently meet with FEMYSO and fulfil her role with the seriousness it demands. Despite repeated requests since her appointment, she has consistently refused to engage with us – even as Muslim youth face escalating hate and defamation within EU institutions.    

• Civil society and youth organisations to stand united in defending civic space for all young Europeans, without exception. 

“We are here because we belong and because we want to contribute. Muslim youth are a vital part of Europe’s future — and no amount of hate will push us out of the institutions that shape it,” said Hania Chalal. 

FEMYSO remains committed to building a Europe where the youth can fully contribute to shaping the policies that affect their lives — free from fear, discrimination, or scapegoating.  

[END]    

Notes:     

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.      

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

PRESS RELEASE  

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION  

Brussels l 27 April 2025  

FEMYSO DEMANDS FULL ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER ISLAMOPHOBIC MURDER INSIDE FRENCH MOSQUE 

The Forum of European Muslim and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) is deeply outraged by the Islamophobic execution of Aboubakar, a 22-year-old volunteer of Malian heritage, inside La Grand Combe mosque, France –during the early hours of Friday 25^th April 2025.

According to the surveillance cameras and media accounts, the assailant stabbed Aboubakar at least 40 times, filmed the dying victim and hurled Islamophobic slurs before fleeing the scene. 

THIS CRIME EXPOSES A SYSTEMIC FAILURE 

The brutal murder of Aboubakar, a premeditated hate-driven terror attack – is the foreseeable outcome of years of unchallenged state measures that single out Muslims, political rhetoric that trades in fear, and a media environment that has normalised the vilification of Muslims.  

France recorded one of the highest rates in Europe on discriminatory ethnic profiling (57%), a trend that has only accelerated as far-right narratives migrate fringe talk-shows into parliamentary debate and state policies. When governments choose targeting Muslim communities or worse, indifference toward such hostility, they license the very violence that ended Aboubakar’s life.  

FEMYSO’s immediate demands 

1. The French prosecutor must mobilise all efforts to arrest the perpetrator known as Oliver H. and charge him under terrorism and hate-crime statutes, reflecting the explicitly anti-Muslim hatred motive.  

2. Until this plague of anti‑Muslim violence is cured, dedicated national and EU funding streams must be established to provide physical security and community support for mosques and Islamic centres across Europe. 

3. The French Government and the European Commission must launch an immediate review of laws and practices that disproportionately target Muslims, with a clear roadmap to repeal or amend them. 

“The blood spilled in La Grand-Combe now stains every French and EU institution that has ignored the rise of Islamophobia” declared Hania Chalal, FEMYSO President. “Either Europe turns this outrage and empty condolences into concrete legislation, budgets and prosecutions – or it can frankly admit that Muslim lives are negotiable. We are done waiting.” 

 
FEMYSO stands in solidarity with Aboubakar’s family, the local community, and all Muslims across Europe who wonder whether their next prayer at their local mosque could be their last. We will continue to challenge every policy that fuels hatred and press every institution for action until Mosques are secure and anti-Muslim racism is met with the full force of the law.  

[END]   

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.     

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

The world has lost a moral force who stood unapologetically with the oppressed. FEMYSO mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a global religious leader who used his voice to uplift the voiceless and challenge power in pursuit of justice.  

At a time where marginalised people, including migrants, refugees and minorities are too often scapegoated for society’s ills, Pope Francis offered a different vision- one rooted in compassion and humanity. He reminded the world that we should respond to human suffering with empathy, openness and shared responsibility.  

Throughout his papacy, he stood firmly with the oppressed. Whether speaking out against poverty, environmental destruction, or war, he used his platform to challenge injustice and call for action.  

FEMYSO particularly honours Pope Francis’ outspoken support for the Palestinians. While much of the international community chose silence in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Pope Francis chose to speak clearly and boldly. Even from his hospital bed, he reached out nightly to the Palestinian Christian community in Gaza and spoke about against the killing of children.  

At a time of rising Islamophobia and division, Pope Francis made real efforts to build bridges between communities to interfaith dialogue, rooted in respect, humility and shared values. He also helped create space for meaningful cooperation between Muslims and Christians across the World.  

As the pan-European network of Muslim youth and students, FEMYSO shares Pope Francis’ belief that faith must drive us towards justice, peace, and solidarity with the oppressed. His legacy strengthens our resolve to keep pushing for a more just, compassionate, and united world. 

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