Category: Statements

On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, FEMYSO as a pan-European Muslim youth and student organisation, would like to celebrate the efforts all youth activists, leaders and voices in the fight against racism. 

FEMYSO is proud to be a core actor and ally of the anti-racism movement with our policy, advocacy and empowerment work, together with our Member Organisations. Our 25 years of existence bears witness to our effortless commitment to fight all forms of racism. Our numerous campaigns, projects, collaborations and publications are proof to this. And our most recent pride is a FEMYSO representative proposing and occupying the first role of the anti-racism coordinator in the Council of Europe’s Joint Council on Youth. Just like in FEMYSO, this role is committed to tackle Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, anti-gypsism and anti-semitism at a structural level. 

Our Europe today is unfortunately darkened by more and more incidents and forms of hatred, structural discrimination and oppression of ethnic and religious minorities on a daily basis. Being anti-racist should therefore not be a choice, but a prerequisite for all claiming to wish or work for a more just and equal world. Public and political hate speech against racialised groups must be tackled by their root causes and be treated with zero tolerance. Efforts to tackle racism, such as the EU Anti-Racism Summit, must be fully inclusive and ensure the representation of young people. There must be no cherry picking in protecting racialised groups. 

FEMYSO will always stay committed to working for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

On the 8th of March 2021 FEMYSO is proud to join the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD). We are also proud to announce that on IWD 2021 and in the year of our 25th anniversary, we are launching our largest survey of Muslim Youth on Gendered Islamophobia ever.

The theme for this year’s IWD is #ChooseToChallenge, and it is in that spirit that we believe the time has come for a monumental shift in the way that our society is governed to ensure that it serves all those that exist within it. As Muslim youth we believe we have a responsibility to follow the example provided to us by our prophet Mohammed, and from the very beginning women’s voices have been essential in the journey of our religion. We stand on the shoulder of giants, who serve as an inspiration to us all. It is in that tradition that as an organisation we #ChooseToChallenge structures and behaviours that seek to denigrate women.

Our survey comes at a time of increased Islamophobia, where Muslim women are amongst the most discrimated groups in society. However, our survey also comes at a time of increased youth activism and youth empowerment, where young people are often at the forefront of bringing major positive shifts in society. The survey seeks to tackle the issues faced by Muslim women in the job market, with our ambition being to process the data collected and produce a report which will support our work in advocating against his specific and dangerous form of oppression. 

We call upon everyone fighting for social justice in Europe to join us in this journey by advocating against gendered Islamophobia at every single opportunity. FEMYSO remains committed to our mission of working towards a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

Take the English survey here!

FEMYSO is appalled by the violent attack against a mosque in the small town of San Javier in Spain on the early morning of 21 February 2021. “Death to Islam” was sprayed and the attackers tried to burn down the mosque through the use of explosives. Thankfully this was prevented by the local police and no one was injured.    

FEMYSO would like to note the traumatising effect attacks like this have on the Muslim community of San Javier, and within the wider Muslim community in Spain and Europe. FEMYSO extends its heartfelt solidarity to the local community of San Javier. 

This attack on Islam and Muslims in San Javier is part of an escalation of crimes committed against individual Muslims, mosques and Islamic organisations, within a context of heightened hatred towards the “other” in our European societies. This attack also takes place within the wider context of further institutionalised Islamophobia, where public officials condone and occasionally encourage Islamophobic hate speech by public figures, officials, and individuals. Such behaviour is one of the root causes of such violent attacks on our mosques and members of the Muslim community.  

FEMYSO would also like to point out the duty of media to report equally on all acts of hate crime and hate speech. FEMYSO notes the underreporting of this event and calls for more overt displays solidarity for and amongst minority religious groups in Europe. 

As an organisation representing thousands of young European Muslims, we will continue our efforts to prevent further division and hatred in our societies. We remain undeterred in our mission to strive for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

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

Open letter by FEMYSO and more than 70 organisations to President von der Leyen urging the organisers of the upcoming EU Summit on Anti-Racism to ensure that issues of structural and institutional racism frame the discussions and lead to strong policies and actions.

Read the letter below:

Open letter to President Von der Leyen

As the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) celebrates 25 years of uninterrupted service to young European Muslims and the wider European community, we take this opportunity to thank all those who were part of this journey since 1996.

25 years of bringing young people from across Europe together for a common goal which is contributing to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 25 years of developing and empowering young people through our unparalleled capacity building initiatives. 25 years of advocating for the rights of Muslims and human rights. 25 years of working closely with partners from all backgrounds. 25 years of cooperation with key European and international institutions.

Reflecting on the history of FEMYSO, we must acknowledge the effort and passionate energy of all the young volunteers, Executive Committee, Board of Trustee, and staff members who served this organisation throughout the past 25 years. Without them we could not have achieved all the above.

To all our Member Organisations, partner organisations, and friends, we thank you for your trust and dedication towards FEMYSO.

In 2021 FEMYSO remains a strong network of over 30 member organisations across 20 European countries reaching thousands of young people. We remain committed to our vision of being the leading voice of European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

In recognition of this anniversary, we will be organising activities throughout the year to recall the past success and plan for the future contributions for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe

With the continuous efforts and commitments of grassroots young Muslim activists in Belgium, a historical decision has been taken: from September 2021 onwards, religious symbols in higher education are authorised by the educational authority of Wallonia-Brussels. This historical development could not have come without young women advocating for their rights, and without a reminder of the fundamental values that we stand for in Europe.

FEMYSO congratulates the #HijabisFightBack activists, CCIB (Collective against Islamophobia in Belgium), la 5e vague and le Collectif les 100 diplômées: grassroots NGOs and movements who worked tirelessly to make education accessible for all. FEMYSO also congratulates the authorities who made a wise decision to ensure students their full freedom in what they want to wear at higher education. This is regardless of the inherently discriminatory and disproportionately Islamophobic decision of the Belgian Constitutional Court allowing schools to misuse the “neutrality of education” principle to wear off students wearing religious symbols. See our statement on this from July 2020 here, and the social campaign we did with a powerful video here.

Mr Abelrahman Rizk, President of FEMYSO noted: “As education is a key factor for young people’s flourishing, personal development and access to the job market, any barriers of systemic discrimination and institutional racism must be effectively identified and removed. When we talk about freedom of education equality, this must not have any exceptions.”

At FEMYSO, we will continue to empower young people across Europe to contribute to positive change and know their rights, while being proud of their identity.

Journalistic reference (French): https://www.rtbf.be/info/belgique/detail_les-signes-convictionnels-autorises-dans-l-enseignement-superieur-des-la-prochaine-rentree-academique?id=10675006

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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

Het Forum van Europese Moslim Jongeren en Studenten Organisaties (FEMYSO) is diep teleurgesteld in de demoniserende berichtgeving over FEMYSO, die momenteel circuleert in Nederlandse media. Het citeren en aanhalen van onterechte beweringen die in het verleden zijn gedaan, met als enig doel het destabiliseren van de organisatie, doet tekort aan het werk dat wij verrichten om Europa een inclusievere plek te maken; ongeacht religie of overtuiging. 

Deze voortdurende aanval op FEMYSO en haar  lidverenigingen is geïnitieerd vanuit het extreemrechtse spectrum en creëert een onjuist narratief over inspanningen van moslims in de bredere samenleving. Deze geluiden zijn helaas onterecht overgenomen door verschillende nieuwsorganisaties, zonder FEMYSO te benaderen om de ruimte te geven om deze onwaarheden te disputeren. De media hebben immers de verantwoordelijkheid om het publiek van waarheidsgetrouwe informatie te voorzien. Die belangrijke taak staat ver af van het klakkeloos overnemen van vermoedens en geruchten zoals we recent bij verschillende media hebben gezien.  

We zijn enorm ontsteld dat een nieuwe generatie van jongeren met een minderheidsachtergrond die meedoen met het democratisch proces, wordt aangevallen enkel op basis van hun religie of positie in de maatschappij. Het verschillen van mening en hierover kunnen debatteren vormt samen met het kiezen van representatieve volksvertegenwoordigers de basis van onze democratische systemen. De betrokkenheid van steeds meer bevolkingsgroepen zou als voorbeeld moeten dienen voor hoe Europa toegroeit naar de democratie waar we met zijn allen naar streven. Echter wordt dit gegeven misbruikt door xenofobe uitingen die als enig doel hebben om de maatschappij te verdelen. Dit laat eens te meer zien dat het huidige sociaal-politieke klimaat ervoor zorgt dat legitieme, maatschappelijke organisaties zich moeten verdedigen op basis van valse beschuldigingen. Ditzelfde klimaat zorgt voor een onveilig gevoel bij jongeren en is verantwoordelijk voor de krimpende ruimte voor publiek debat in Europa. 

Vandaag, meer dan ooit tevoren, blijven wij toegewijd aan en enorm trots op onze lidverenigingen. Het werk dat zij verrichten is van enorme toegevoegde waarde en heeft waardevolle impact op de samenleving in Europa. Deze organisaties dragen bij aan een sterke en trotse gemeenschap, die ernaar streeft eer te doen aan het motto van FEMYSO: building a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

[EINDE] 

1. FEMYSO ( 1996) is een netwerkorganiatie voor 32 Moslim jongeren- en studentenorganisaties vanuit 20 Europese landen, en is de stem van Europese Moslimjongeren, die worden geholpen in hun ontwikkeling, empowerment, en het werken voor een divers, hecht en bruisend Europa.
2. Voor meer informatie of verzoeken, kunt u een mail sturen naar media@femorg

FEMYSO is saddened to see the false allegations made by Mr Michaël Privot in a series of videos with Global Watch Analysis published on YouTube in April 2020 which were only recently brought up to our attention. We believe that these allegations are designed solely to undermine and defame our organisation. The specific claims in this case have been directly addressed in our March 2019 statement which can be found on our website.

Global Watch Analysis is a far-right anti-Muslim initiative set up last year, which aims to map active and practicing Muslim individuals and Muslim organisations to undermine and defame them, under their written mission of “counter-terrorism” and “resistance to extremism”. They are actively contributing to the shrinking civic space in Europe which the European Union and Council of Europe are actively working against. This is not the first time that Global Watch Analysis has attempted to target FEMYSO with false allegations with the aim of damaging the reputation of a pan-European youth organisation.

We are therefore truly disappointed to see malicious claims against FEMYSO made by Michaël. These allegations are nothing more but unsubstantiated presumptions by a defamatory platform which has actively harmed the work of civil society organisations through the dissemination of dangerous Islamophobic rhetoric. While we recognise Michaël’s valuable efforts with FEMYSO, we are sad he has felt the need to promote his book by maligning the great work that dedicated young European Muslims do, because they believe in a vibrant and cohesive Europe. We find it unfortunate that Michaël remembers only his disagreements with board members and not the fantastic work he took part in which was recognised by European and other international institutions that FEMYSO has done at the local, national and international level.

We wish Michaël well and recognise the personal distress he has been going through for many years where the organisation has always tried to support him. FEMYSO will continue to offer any support he needs and will be there for him. Islamophobic agenda driven organisations such as Global Watch Analysis, which have the sole objective of maligning mainstream European Muslim organisations, should not take advantage of individuals for their own ends and should be ashamed of trying to peddle hate, misinformation and division. We therefore hope that Michaël will be far wiser in not spreading Islamophobic claims and content which lead to defaming Muslim organisations.

FEMYSO, which has a broad membership in 20 European countries, is entirely run by young volunteers who are brought together by their shared European and Muslim identity. Since our founding in 1996 as an outcome of a conference hosted by the Swedish government, we have been a key partner for European institutions, numerous civil society organisations and have worked tirelessly to encourage positive contributions by Muslim youth in all of our societies. This is testament to our commitment and efforts to promote active citizenship, co-existence, and European values in all of our work throughout our 24 years of existence.

Our sole objective is to work for a diverse, cohesive, and vibrant Europe. Our organisation reserves the right to take legal action against organisations and individuals making false allegations.

Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations

[ENDS]

Notes

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

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) has been advocating for civic education, human rights and anti-racism for over 20 years. We have always worked closely with our partners across Europe in order to form a strong voice against marginalisation, stigmatisation and human rights violations. We have done so through various projects, trainings and campaigns supported by institutions ranging from the European Commission, the Council of Europe to local governmental bodies.

FEMYSO alongside more than 25 European youth and human rights organisations have co-signed an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron addressing the systematic state-led targeting of Muslims in France and active efforts to institutionalise the religion of Islam. We call on the French government to put an immediate halt to unfounded allegations and decisions conducted outside of a coherent legal framework. We as FEMYSO will always stand up against intolerance and will work for a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

Please find the letter below:

President Macron, 

As organisations that have spent decades building peace and bringing people together across Europe from various backgrounds, of all faiths and none, we would like to ask you and your government to reconsider the unilateral assault on Muslims, Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). 

The horrific murder of M. Samuel Paty and the heinous attack on a place of worship in Nice drew condemnation and empathy from people all over the world. This is a moment in which French citizens looked up to you to provide strong moral leadership. Yet, unfortunately, there has been neither wisdom nor moral leadership in your response. Maligning Islam and your own Muslim citizens, closing mainstream mosques, Muslim and human rights organisations, and using this as an opportunity to stir up further hatred, has given further encouragement to racists and violent extremists. Your own words and actions go against the principle of laïcité, as well as the French Constitution of 1958, which states that “all citizens regardless of their origin, race or religion are treated as equals before the law and respecting all religious beliefs [or lack thereof]”. 

Your use of state mechanisms and the security services of the French State to spread unfounded defamatory accusations, raid civic organisations, close mosques and shut down legitimate organisations is symptomatic of the underlying malaise in France’s political institutions and goes against the fundamental principles of Egalité, Liberté and Fraternité. 

Indeed, this opportunistic behaviour undermines the principle of the rule of law by closing down associations based on political motivations and without sound legal procedures, and is a direct violation of Art. 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights (freedom of thought, conscience and religion). It is behaviour that is based on non-legal accusations and is being conducted with full impunity. Criminalising the work that is done to fight Islamophobia will set a dangerous precedent to cherry pick which religious and racialised groups to protect, and which ones to dehumanise and rob of their freedoms. All of us in Europe know very well the horrendous consequences at mass scale that can lead from such actions targeting a religious minority. 

You appear to have forgotten that you came into office on the hopes and dreams of young French men and women who were looking for a fresh approach to race and faith relations. Adopting the policies of xenophobes and pandering to bigots serves only to further the divisions in France between communities and undermine her long-standing democracy. 

The moral high ground that we invite you to, is to reject hatred, marginalisation, and divisive rhetoric and use your leadership to bring people together. It is within your capacity to nurture understanding between people and to counter dangerous forms of polarisation within France and globally. The hand of friendship from European organisations, especially of youth and student movements, has long been extended. It would be a service to France and to its cherished principles, and to the rest of the world, if you took it.

Notes

1. Letter To Macron: www.lettertomacron.com
2. For more information or requests please visit: www.lettertomacron.com