To fight di rise of anti-Muslim racism wey dey happen for di world and make people sabi di mata well, United Nations General Assembly for 2022 declare say March 15 go be “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” (IDCI). Dem choose dis date to remember di Christchurch attack wey happen for March 15, 2019.
Dis decision na big step for di fight against Islamophobia and e fit help make di mata get legal and political recognition. But wetin dey clear be say, di only people wey no gree for di UN General Assembly discussion na di European Union representatives, plus France and India representatives. Dis one don already show say e go hard to implement di IDCI well for Europe.
EU dey slow for di fight against Islamophobia
Two years afta dem introduce di IDCI, we fit see say EU member countries no too dey serious to give di day beta meaning. For example, for 2023, out of di 28 EU countries, na only Spain talk about di International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Di rest no even mention am, talk less of organize event or discuss how dem go handle Islamophobia for future.
Even though di European Commission don recognize anti-Muslim hate as racism for dia “Action Plan Against Racism 2020-2025,” di truth be say most EU countries no dey carry di mata for head. Islamophobia no dey di agenda of most EU member states.
Islamophobia as taboo: How European people dey ignore di mata
For reality, Islamophobia or anti-Muslim racism no dey recognized well. Many European governments, political parties, institutions, journalists, and intellectuals dey deny say di mata even dey. Some go even say Islamophobia no exist, while others go try reduce how serious di mata be.
Some people wey dey push Islamophobic ideas dey use conspiracy theories talk say Islamophobia na fake tool wey so-called Islamists dey use to stop people from criticizing Muslims or Islam. Others dey avoid di word “Islamophobia” and go use soft words like “anti-Muslim sentiments” or “prejudice” to cover di racism wey dey inside di mata.
Dis one show say di fight to make people recognize Islamophobia for Europe still dey ground. One way to measure di political recognition of Islamophobia na to check which countries, political parties, and NGOs dey observe di IDCI every March 15.
From positive moves to criticism and mockery
For 2023, na only di Spanish government observe di International Day to Combat Islamophobia. For Turin, Italy, di city wey get center-left administration sign agreement with 21 local Muslim groups to include dem for di city system from 2023 to 2026. Di aim na to build understanding and create awareness about anti-Muslim racism.
For Austria and Germany, two Muslim female MPs from di Green Party remember di IDCI and talk about di need to tackle Islamophobia for dia countries. Interestingly, di Green Party dey part of coalition government for both countries dat time.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, di Naša Stranka (Our Party) release statement for di IDCI. For France, di left-wing party La France Insoumise tweet about di day. For UK, dem organize event for Parliament wey Muslim Labour MP Afzal Khan host, and politicians from different parties attend.
For other countries, dem mock or criticize di IDCI. For France, media criticize di day; for Belgium, di far-right Vlaams Belang party attack di IDCI; and for Denmark, one former MP talk bad about di day.
Global institutions dey call for action
Apart from governments and political parties, some NGOs for Europe dey observe di IDCI. International institutions like OSCE, Council of Europe, and UN also dey involved. Di Council of Europe’s special representative for religious intolerance, Alexandre Guessel, write article for March 15, 2023, to talk say di world need to recognize Islamophobia. E call di IDCI declaration one big step to fight anti-Muslim racism and hate.
UN observe di IDCI with special event for New York City, where speakers talk about di need for action against di hate, discrimination, and violence wey Muslims dey face. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also talk about di discrimination Muslims dey suffer.
US representatives and Islamophobia
For 2023, Courtney Austrian, di US representative for OSCE, talk for Vienna about di importance of religious freedom. She mention say people dey harass, arrest, or even kill Muslims because of dia religion. She also refer to di UN report wey warn say di suspicion against Muslims don reach epidemic level.
But di reality be say, afta Trump time, e hard to expect US representatives to take strong action against Islamophobia for international institutions.
Europe dey fail
Di need to recognize Islamophobia dey very important. Di poor response of European governments, political parties, and NGOs for di IDCI show say dem no dey ready to face di mata. Most national action plans against racism for Europe no even mention anti-Muslim racism.
As di European Commission coordinator for anti-Muslim hate, Marion Lalisse, talk: “Di fight against anti-Muslim hate and racism need us to first accept say di problem dey, and e fit dey our institutions, families, and daily life.” But Europe still dey far from dis realization.
