PRESS RELEASE: FEMYSO denounces French report’s exclusionary narrative and attack on Muslim civil society 

(French below)

Brussels, Wednesday 21 May 2025 

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) expresses deep concern at the French government’s recently published report and strongly condemns the defamatory and politically driven narrative which aims to delegitimise Muslim civil society actors — including our organisation — through vague and unsubstantiated allegations framed as national security concerns. We were never contacted or consulted in the drafting process- a glaring omission that mirrors the very exclusion the report attempts to normalise. 

FEMYSO is a proudly youth-led and democratic organisation. We categorically reject any attempt to associate us with political entities and urge the French government to reconsider the long-term consequences of policies that alienate its own citizens. French Muslims are part and parcel of the national fabric – engaged, proud, and committed to their society. 

It is particularly troubling that this report employs Islamophobic tropes and unsubstantiated claims at a time when constructive dialogue is most needed. We have seen similar rhetorical strategies in the public debate following the brutal murder of Aboubakar Cissé – moments when serious societal issues are avoided by stirring artificial controversies around terms like Islamophobia.  

FEMYSO remains steadfast in our mission to promote dignity, pluralism, and democratic participation. Today we have sent an official letter to the French Minister of the Interior, inviting him to meet with us and our members, experience first-hand the civic work our organisation does across Europe. We believe that engagement and dialogue – not exclusion and suspicion – are the foundations of a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.  

We call upon European institutions, civil society actors, and all defenders of democratic values to stand firm against this dangerous trend to marginalise and silence European Muslim communities under the pretext of security.  

[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 organization and its governance can be found on the FAQ page.  

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

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE 

FEMYSO dénonce le récit excluant du rapport français et l’attaque contre la société civile musulmane 

Bruxelles, mercredi 21 mai 2025 

Le Forum Européen des Organisations Musulmanes Étudiantes et de Jeunesse (FEMYSO) exprime sa profonde inquiétude face au rapport récemment publié par le gouvernement français et condamne fermement le récit diffamatoire et politiquement motivé visant à délégitimer les acteurs de la société civile musulmane – y compris notre organisation – à travers des allégations vagues et non fondées, présentées sous couvert de préoccupations sécuritaires. Nous n’avons jamais été contactés ni consultés dans le cadre de l’élaboration de ce rapport – une omission flagrante qui reflète l’exclusion même que ce document cherche à normaliser. 

FEMYSO est une organisation fièrement dirigée par des jeunes et fondée sur des principes démocratiques. Nous rejetons catégoriquement toute tentative de nous associer à des entités ideologiques et appelons le gouvernement français à reconsidérer les conséquences à long terme de politiques qui marginalisent ses propres citoyens. Les musulmans de France font partie intégrante du tissu national – engagés, fiers et investis dans leur société. 

Il est particulièrement préoccupant que ce rapport reprenne des clichés islamophobes et des affirmations sans fondement, à un moment où le dialogue constructif est plus que jamais nécessaire. Nous avons observé des stratégies rhétoriques similaires dans le débat public qui a suivi l’assassinat brutal d’Aboubakar Cissé – des moments où des enjeux sociétaux réels sont évités en suscitant des controverses artificielles autour de termes comme l’islamophobie. 

FEMYSO reste fermement engagé dans sa mission de promotion de la dignité, du pluralisme et de la participation démocratique. Aujourd’hui, nous avons adressé une lettre officielle au Ministre de l’Intérieur français, l’invitant à rencontrer notre organisation et nos membres, afin de découvrir directement le travail civique que nous menons à travers l’Europe. Nous croyons que l’engagement et le dialogue – et non l’exclusion et la suspicion – sont les fondements d’une Europe diverse, cohésive et dynamique. 

Nous appelons les institutions européennes, les acteurs de la société civile et tous les défenseurs des valeurs démocratiques à résister fermement à cette tendance dangereuse de marginalisation et de réduction au silence des communautés musulmanes européennes sous prétexte de sécurité. 

[FIN] 

  1. FEMYSO (fondé en 1996) est une organisation de réseau regroupant 32 organisations de jeunesse et d’étudiants musulmans dans 20 pays européens. Il constitue la voix principale de la jeunesse musulmane européenne, œuvrant à son développement et à son autonomisation, et travaillant à construire une Europe plus diverse, cohésive et dynamique. 
  1. FEMYSO répond aux fausses allégations de liens avec les Frères musulmans. 
  1. Déclaration concernant l’enquête sur la campagne de diffamation. 
  1. Déclaration du FEMYSO en réponse à l’article du New Yorker :  
  1. Des précisions supplémentaires sur notre organisation et sa gouvernance sont disponibles sur notre page FAQ. 
  1. Pour plus d’informations ou pour toute demande, veuillez écrire à: media@femyso.org 

FEMYSO’s European Action Day Against Islamophobia Conference 2024

Islamophobia does not exist in a vacuum – it is not a single-issue fight, nor can it be tackled in isolation. It is the shadow cast by a web of interconnected injustices. This was the defining message of the 2024 European Action Against Islamophobia Conference, in which civil-society organisations, politicians, activists and academics came together to confront a stark reality: Islamophobia cannot be fought in silos. It thrives at the intersection of economic exploitation, the scapegoating of migrants, the normalisation of genocidal violence , and the hypersurveillance of minority communities – all rooted in Europe’s dark colonial past. These are not separate issues but interconnected fronts in the broader fight for a just, equal, and rights-based Europe. 

In light of the EU-recognised European Action Day Against Islamophobia (EADAI) on the 21st of September, FEMYSO organises an annual conference at the European Parliament which serves as a crucial space to bring attention to the issue of anti-Muslim racism across Europe. Established through the advocacy efforts of FEMYSO and its partners, EADAI provides a space to share lived experiences, information and practical strategies to combat Islamophobia in Europe.  

In 2024, amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the far-right surge during the European elections, and increasing use of technology to police and surveil Muslim communities, the urgency of EADAI’s mission has never been clearer. FEMYSO marked EADAI 2024 with a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels, and an afternoon Red-Teaming event, supported by Humane Intelligence. These events convened over 60 youth participants from across Europe, together with representatives from civil society groups and Members of the European Parliament, to reflect on the past year and engage in nuanced, critical discussions about the escalating levels of Islamophobia.  By integrating the conference with the workshop, this year’s EADAI sought not only to foster dialogue but also to encourage practical engagement with the realities of discrimination, empowering participants to contribute to meaningful, real-world change. 

The conference opened with a panel titled ‘Strategic Responses to Islamophobia in a Post-Elections Europe’, chaired by James Kanter, political commentator and host of the EUScreams podcast. The session sparked a dynamic discussion on Islamophobia, exploring both its contemporary manifestations and its structural roots. Attendees heard from journalists, human rights advocates, and politicians leading the fight against racism across Europe. Benedetta Scuderi, MEP for Greens/EFA, mapped out the rise of anti-migrant rhetoric and its intersection with Islamophobic discourse, whereby those in power wield their authority to dictate who belongs and who does not. Political commentator, Shada Islam, drew attention to the genocide in Gaza as the ultimate betrayal of Europe’s commitment to human rights and the rules-based international order. She highlighted the profound alienation and fundamentally altered sense of belonging felt by European Muslims in response to Europe’s indifference and complicity.  

Aarti Narse, senior policy and advocacy officer at the European Civic Forum’s contributions highlighted the link between recent attacks on European civil space – through legislative restrictions on the right to protest, police brutality and the demonisation of the pro-Palestine movement in the media – and Europe’s unaddressed colonial past and long-standing treatment of minority groups. Here, Arab and Muslim dissent is presented as an expression of rage that cannot be examined, only condemned and violently opposed. Indeed, Julie Pascoet, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the European Network Against Racism, emphasised the invisibility of Muslim voices within EU institutions, stressing the need for representation and diverse consultation to drive meaningful, anti-racist policies. The session was followed by several pertinent questions from the audience members, facilitating a rich and multifaceted discussion.  

The second panel, ‘Understanding Islamophobia in AI’, delved into a critical and contemporary facet of institutionalized Islamophobia in Europe. Expertly moderated by Daris José, Legal and Policy Officer at Equinet, the discussion unpacked how AI systems can embed and amplify Islamophobic biases. Despite its technical nature, the panel offered a nuanced exploration of how technology is deeply intertwined with social structures and prejudices. Zeynep Engin, Founding Director of Data for Policy CIC, outlined how AI models, such as ChatGPT, inherit biases from training data, which ultimately reflect existing, structural socio-political biases. Mark Faddoul, the Director at Al Forensics, provided the example of AI-driven content moderation on social media platforms which disproportionately suppresses Muslim voices. This creates a harmful feedback loop, whereby Muslims are policed online under counter-terrorism policies, generating biased data that perpetuates the cycle. All panelists stressed the urgent need for greater transparency from AI platforms, with mechanisms for public accountability and independent audits. The discussion underscored the vital role of civic engagement and grassroots in holding these systems accountable and shaping a collective vision of fairness and inclusivity in AI – a mission that FEMYSO is determined to carry forward.  

Following a delicious lunch, attendees shifted from discussion to action, participating in a hands-on Red Teaming exercise. We were honoured to be joined by Brando Benifei, MEP for the Democratic Party and AI Act Rapporteur, who outlined the importance of Red Teaming exercises in proactively identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities in artificial intelligence systems. During the exercise, participants challenged AI models with prompts related to the Muslim identity, aiming to expose biases, discriminatory outputs, and potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.  FEMYSO is currently preparing a comprehensive report to document the findings of this exercise.  

Indeed, this year’s EADAI has only further highlighted the critical importance of FEMYSO’s mission to empower and advocate for Muslim youth – now more than ever. We remain steadfast in our commitment to amplifying the voices of marginalised youth within European institutions, fostering spaces for meaningful engagement with decision-makers, and building a European-wide movement, with alliances across diverse civil society actors and EU stakeholders, to challenge Islamophobia and structural discrimination. As hundreds and thousands have taken to the street to advocate for peace and justice in Palestine, the pervasive impact of Islamophobic rhetoric has become increasingly clear: from media narratives that fuel hatred and demonisation, to legislative crackdowns on free speech, to the use of surveillance technologies targeting Muslims. Yet, amid these challenges, we have witnessed the transformative power of grassroots mobilisation and collective action in holding institutions accountable. 

Muslim youth often find themselves at the cross-roads of the multifaceted forms in which Islamophobia manifests, facing barriers to education, employment and full participation in civic society. As FEMYSO we will continue our advocacy efforts to ensure that the perspective of Muslim youth and students is amplified and represented in decision-making processes that still lack diverse representation of all minorities in Europe. 

European Action Day Against Islamophobia 2023

The European Action Day Against Islamophobia (EADAI) is an annual event on the 21st of September and marks a major opportunity to raise awareness on the issue of anti-Muslim hatred. It was established by the advocacy and campaigning of FEMYSO together with other organizations and institutions. EADAI creates the opportunity to share facts, lived experiences, and tools to address Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe. To mark this day, FEMYSO organized a conference hosted at the European Parliament, Brussels, to bring together young Muslims from across the continent with stakeholders at an EU institutional level. In 2023, EADAI is more critical than ever as we witness the rise in Islamophobia in most European countries and its normalization by governing institutions.

The conference hosted approximately 40 young Muslim youth leaders from across Europe and featured two panels with Q&A sessions after each. FEMYSO’s Vice-President Nadia El Faroukhi opened the Conference and highlighted the importance of the event in the current political landscape. Her words were followed by a keynote speech by the honourable MEP Brando Benifei who has always been an incredible ally for the cause of Muslim youth.

The first panel was titled ‘Islamophobia in 2023: Shrinking of the civic space, and top-down vs. bottom-up challenges’ and was chaired by James Kanter, political commentator and host of the podcast EUScreams. Attendees heard from academics, journalists, and human rights advocates on the current European context and anti-Muslim hatred. The panelists were Shada Islam, political commentator and analyst, Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office, and Farid Hafez, co-editor of the annual European Islamophobia Report). After the session, several participants asked pertinent questions and there were contacts exchanged between speakers and attendees to continue the conversations beyond the event.

The second panel’s title was forward-looking, and covered “Safe-guarding future-policies, 2024 EP Elections and Muslim European Voters”. Areeq Chowdhury, Head of Policy at the Royal Society and Labour Party Councillor from the UK, shared his expertise and answered questions on the issue of discrimination in AI. The contributions of Hania Chalal, activist and the former president of Muslim Students of France (Etudiants Musulmans de France – EMF), were insightful for the situation of French Muslim women and advocacy in the aftermath of the French abaya ban in schools. FEMYSO was pleased to host the Director of the European Network Against Racism, Kim Smoulter, and the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the European Youth Forum, Ozgecan Kara.  

The role that institutions have in upholding and spreading anti-Muslim sentiment, is a topic especially poignant to FEMYSO, due to the shocking revelations this year from the smear campaign that FEMYSO and other major organizations faced. As revealed in a year-long joint investigation by European Investigative Collaborations, this campaign aimed to destroy FEMYSO’s reputation and marginalize the young people we represent in public life. It has resulted in increased censorship and the removal of our representatives from important events and youth advisory bodies and has hindered the historical cooperation between European institutions and FEMYSO. FEMYSO, therefore, is calling for clear and effective European strategies to tackle the growing issue of systemic Islamophobia. 

With the endemic stigmatization and exclusion of Muslims from all areas of life, FEMYSO wants to create a space to discuss future-looking policies and how these are likely to affect the lived experience of young Muslims in Europe. With the known concerns of bias in artificial intelligence systems, and how this risk impacts young people in the job market, in their access to education, or simply existence in public spaces; upcoming European Elections, and the expected rise in Islamophobic rhetoric; FEMYSO believes that it is vital that diverse stakeholders are brought together to discuss policies on these critical issues. 

On Thursday 21st of September 2023, FEMYSO was proud to have hosted an event that explored the different manifestations of Islamophobia, with specific attention to youth. Different institutional representatives and civil society organizations working on youth, education, and discrimination presented their inputs and findings to ensure an inclusive and effective approach to addressing Islamophobia. In line with our human rights to freedom of faith and right to security, it is essential that young Muslims are free to practice their faith and in their rights as individuals in Europe today. We look forward to welcoming more attendees at next year’s conference, EADAI24. 

Please find the recording of panel discussions using the following links:  

  1. Panel discussion 1: https://fb.watch/nCuhvYyqjR/ 
  1. Panel discussion 2: https://fb.watch/nCudz_1TNW/ 

For more information or media inquiries, reach out to FEMYSO’s Head of Media at head.media@femyso.org.  

European Day Against Islamophobia 2022

The European Action Day Against Islamophobia represents a major opportunity for Muslim youth that FEMYSO helped to create with EU institutions to bring the attention of stakeholders on the issue of islamophobia in Europe, sharing key facts with them as well as tools that they can bring in their fields of work to tackle islamophobia.   

The gradual increase of islamophobia at all levels has led to the aspirations of young European Muslims to be deeply affected and as of now, a clear and effective European strategy is lacking to tackle this issue. 

With the endemic stigmatization and exclusion of Muslims from all areas of life, in the job market, in their access to education, or simply in public spaces, there is the necessity to recognize this serious phenomenon and ensure that policies protecting against islamophobia are put in place.   

Today, FEMYSO was proud to hold an event in Brussels that explored in-depth the different manifestations of Islamophobia, with specific attention to the “youth” component. Different institutional representatives and civil society organizations working on youth, education, and discrimination presented their inputs and findings to ensure an inclusive and effective approach to addressing Islamophobia.  

Watch the video of the event here.

FEMYSO, together with all our Member Organisations, stay committed to a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe, in which all is free and safe to live and believe as they wish.

World Hijab Day 2022 #HandsOffMyHijab

Today marks World Hijab Day 2022. What is clear, is that the importance of this day has only increased since its inception – FEMYSO alongside our civil society partners would like to reiterate the clear statement #HandsOffMyHijab.  

The constant attack on the Hijab is centred in a patriarchal view that those in power have the right to legislate on women’s bodies. What a woman chooses to wear (and not to wear) is her own decision and those that seek to undermine this basic fundamental right should be seen as pariah.  

It is hypocrisy of the highest order to governments that seek to rightfully condemn other countries for human rights violations, to enact their own when it comes to the choice a Muslim woman makes whether to wear religious clothing.  

The recent decision by the French Senate to ban the Hijab in sports is one of many clear human rights violations that our region has seen. Sport is a unifying platform where one’s talent and work ethic should be the only consideration made. Instead, Muslim women now have to make the choice between wearing religious clothing and engaging in the sport they love.  

In July 2021, a political decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was passed which once again gives a free pass to employers to ban the headscarf. This saw the ECJ prioritise the financial interests of employers and prejudiced customers as more important than the rights of those who are perpetually made vulnerable and kept in a vicious circle of discrimination. 

FEMYSO President Hande Taner said ‘My choice to wear the Hijab was my own and one that has led to numerous barriers being placed in front of me in my pursuit to help shape a more just world. The efforts by many across our region to limit Muslim women like myself due to this aspect of my faith is a shameful endeavour that the generations to come will look upon with shame – #HandsOffMyHijab and the Hijabs of all the incredible young women I represent across our region.’  

As part of our work to tackle Gendered Islamophobia, FEMYSO has launched a survey that seeks to tackle the issues faced by Muslim women in the job market, translated into 8 languages, please take part here.  

We once again call upon EU Member States to stop their obsession with Muslim women’s bodies. We call on the EU and all its institutions to recognise the impact of Gendered Islamophobia on its citizens and to work alongside civil society to implement impactful and holistic policy to tackle this human rights violation.
 

  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 media-related information or requests please email media@femyso.org. 

FEMYSO Statement on Attack of Muslim Youth by French Government Officials 

FEMYSO is deeply disappointed to observe that French government officials have spent their political capital and platforms to attack and delegitimise our fully volunteer-led pan-European youth and students organisation, instead of trying to pass effective policies to support local communities in the recovery from this devastating pandemic.

FEMYSO President Hande Taner said: “This must not be seen in a vacuum. With upcoming elections in France, we view this unjustified attack as nothing more than a method to legitimise the right-wing credentials of these individuals in order to appease racist far right idealogues who intend to divide our societies.”

This directed targeting of FEMYSO is nothing less than an active contribution to the shrinking of civic space as well as an attack on human rights defenders. A free civic space means that criticism can be directed at public figures and institutions without fearing repercussions, as happens under autocratic regimes.

One of the many accusations our organisation was slandered with was that our rhetoric was not befitting of European values. This is laughable. Over the last 25 years our organisation has manifested European values of tolerance and investing in youth, through trainings and campaigns on various topics such as climate justice, human rights education, advocacy and policymaking, meaningful youth participation and mental health awareness. Our campaign in 2019 to encourage minority youth to vote in the European elections in a context where democratic turnout was low, as well as our campaign in 2020 Outbreak of Generosity to instil solidarity amongst youth to support those in need are only examples of our values and fully volunteer-led efforts.

A recent example of can also be seen through the two workshops our volunteers contributed with during the European Youth Event, as well as our moderation of an anti-discrimination panel by our President at the European Youth Event,  this panel focused on the importance of inclusivity, the full recording of this moderation can be watched here.

Our detractors cite Lorenzo Vidino as the main source of the “research” that supposedly exposes our “real intentions”. Mr Vidino is treated by no one as a credible source and has allowed his personal grievances to transform into a multi-year vendetta that isn’t far from blaming FEMYSO for bad weather at this point. Mr Vidino is nothing but a prejudiced man masquerading as an intellectual. It is quite shameful that he spends his time trying to justify his political positions through his biased research with the sole aim of conducting a witch-hunt against Muslims

He must be seen as an unreliable source, whose research focuses on spreading Islamophobic conspiracy theories. Mr Vidino is affiliated with numerous far-right think tanks in the US and is part of a worldwide network of Islamophobic organizations and bloggers (source).

We would like to offer the ability for dialogue for our detractors in the form of a private or public meeting to discuss specific accusations. Furthermore, our easily available FAQ page can provide a clarification on matters that are currently being discussed online amidst a mass disinformation campaign.

At FEMYSO we will continue to participate proactively in the public debate by protecting human and fundamental rights, by organising trainings and campaigns, and by standing in solidarity with our civil society partners as well as human rights defenders against all forms of oppression.

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 media-related information or requests please email media@femyso.org.
  3. More information on Lorezo Vidino can be found here: https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-lorenzo-vidino/

 

The attack on the Council of Europe’s Hijab campaign is an attack on human rights

A recent online campaign promoted and led by the Council of Europe’s Anti-Discrimination department, following a workshop in cooperation with FEMYSO, has been attacked by hypocritical French public and political figures who continue to exercise their double standards when it comes to the topic of human rights by promoting liberty only for some and especially not Muslim communities.  

The campaign for the celebration of diversity, including the headscarf, follows on from our collaboration with the Council of Europe’s Anti-Discrimination Department. This specific partnership was in the form of two online workshops aimed at creating human rights-based narratives to counter anti-Muslim hate speech, taking place from the 27-28 September, in a framework of a deep history and continuous forms of cooperation with other parts of the Council of Europe, such as the European Youth Centres and through our representation at the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth.

As experts on this we facilitated three groups to guide the participants through a process that aimed to analyse hate speech, develop our own human rights narrative as a response. The participants, who belonged to diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, proactively debated the challenges posed by Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate speech, crafting campaigns aimed at raising awareness on the aforementioned issues. The visual campaign showcasing diversity and portraying young Muslim women wearing the hijab, was a result of this workshop.  

As FEMYSO we are extremely sad to see efforts by Muslim youth once again attacked and undermined by individuals and governments alike. We are deeply concerned and saddened that our collaboration on building human-rights based narratives to tackle anti-Muslim hate speech was attacked. This is yet another example of how young progressive voices are sidelined and Muslim women’s rights are non-existent to those who abuse notions such as liberty, secularism, equality and freedom. 

These attacks on this vital campaign take place in a wider environment of a shrinking of civic space, where government actors routinely censor and limit the freedom of speech when not fitting their political agenda. Such backlash and attacks supported by unfounded arguments, ostracise the work that we do as a civil society and hinders our attempt to represent the voices of those whose voice is not always heard.  

FEMYSO President Hande Taner said “In the face of such heavy racist and anti-Muslim attacks, institutions should stand firm in their messaging in support of human rights, condemning the violation of the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We firmly believe that everyone has the right and freedom to wear (and not to wear) what they want. Those two are not extremes and do not exclude each other, rather they go together. This is a basic fundamental right.” 

At FEMYSO we will continue to participate proactively in the public debate by protecting human and fundamental rights, by organising trainings and campaigns, and by standing in solidarity with our civil society partners against all forms of oppression. 

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 media-related information or requests please email media@femyso.org.

Anti-Racism Action Plan (ARAP): 1-Year Anniversary Manifesto

It’s been a year since #BLM (Black Lives Matter) protests were successful in pushing the EU to create an EU Anti-Racism Action Plan. To truly start tackling racism over the next year, over 40 organisations have got solutions. We hope to work constructively with the European Commission to deliver change!

Rather than being protected by police, many racialised communities are victims of racist policing and violence.  The families of Stanislav Tomas, Adil or Ousman Sey are still waiting for justice, as are many more. We’re calling on the Commission to put an end to police brutality, discrimination and violence by extending the Race Equality Directive (RED) to cover law enforcement.

As President von der Leyen stated last year, it is time “to build a truly anti-racist Union – that goes from condemnation to action.” The Commission has promised to ensure that all Member States put forward National Action Plans Against Racism (NAPARs). With COVID-19 devastating our communities in some of the worst ways, we’re calling for these action plans to be finalised, and delivered by 2022. 

It’s time racial justice is mainstreamed in ALL policy areas. Racism does not happen in a vacuum. It’s structural. Let’s include racial justice in climate, digital, economic, education, employment, foreign, defence, gender, migration and security policy. With the increased targeting, arrests and outright banning of anti-racism activists and organisations across Europe, we’re calling on the European Commission to closely scrutinise developments in the Member States and provide concrete support for anti-racist human rights defenders and organisations at risk.

We’re calling for the EU Coordinator on Anti-Racism to work together with civil society in the organisation of the EU Anti-Racism Summit under the French Presidency in March 2022 and to ensure a dynamic and interactive meeting with a focus on structural racism, as well as high-level participation including the President of the Commission and Heads of States.

We want to see the EU Coordinator on Anti-Racism ensure meaningful and regular dialogue between the European Commission and civil society organisations led by racialised groups, communities and organisations.

Finally, it’s time that racialised people are properly represented in the EU institutions and agencies. 

We’re calling on the relevant bodies of the various institutions to put forward its proposals on creating a safe positive environment and strategy that will increase the representation of racialised people and others from underrepresented communities. 

 

To read the manifesto and see the list of civil society organisations, go here.

 

This statement is in cooperation with ENAR (European Network Against Racism), Equinox (Initiative for Racial Justice) and ERGO Network (European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network).

Remembering Srebrenica: Our Demands as European Muslim Youth

Brussels, 11 July 2021 

FEMYSO commemorates the gruesome Srebrenica genocide on Muslim men on boys in 1995 and honours all the victims. We at the FEMYSO family send our heartfelt condolences to all families and friends of the victims, and remain committed to our fight against the root causes of this massacre. 

It is exactly twenty-six years ago on this day that the worst human massacre took place on European soil after World War II. It was a crime solely driven by a hatred for Bosnian Muslims and enabled by a blatant institutional failure of UN Peacekeeping forces. Human beings were singled out for their faith, whose name sounded ‘Muslim’ while not being religious, to suffer great inhumanity and in the end, to be brutally murdered. Men and boys were separated from their families, women and girls were subjected to rape and torture.  

The brutal murder of more than 8000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica however does not seem to have left a necessary mark to #NeverAgain. As we see the spike of mainstreamed and normalised Islamophobia amongst public and political speeches, rapidly disseminated by traditional and social media, and finally implemented by legislations, we must remain ever committed to fight this injustice while protecting all racialised minorities. 

This is why at FEMYSO, we call for: 

  • Mandatory education of the Srebrenica genocide in history classes 
  • National and EU wide commemoration events by national and EU authorities
  • Mandatory education about anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia 

We will continue our fight against any form of racism and our work for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

 

#WeRemember

 

[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.