The European Commission's coordinator on combating anti-Muslim hatred has said that racism and Islamophobia are seemingly on the rise in a number of member states.
"We know that since the 7th of October (2023), in particular, anti-Muslim hate crime has increased, for instance, by 140 percent in Germany," Marion Lalisse told Anadolu Agency during Türkiye's Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Lalisse added: "Obviously, you can have views about religions, about politics, but you cannot incite hatred against a group of individuals who are full parts of Europe, integral components of our society."
"I think that we have, unfortunately, a normalisation of anti-Muslim narrative, and narrative that is in the media, in the social media, don't remain only words," she said.
"We need to have more diversity among journalists, also in the management of media, not only in the journalists themselves, but in the executive boards to make sure that there is a coverage reflecting the vast majority of Muslims," she explained.
"Definitely, those acts are very detrimental to Europe, and they don't reflect our values, the values on which the EU was built," she said.
As attacks on mosques, Islamic schools, and Muslims have become more brazen, community leaders have set up a new initiative to push for policy changes and greater protection.
Surge in hatred
Lalisse expressed happiness to see some member states take measures, mentioning Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
"We are happy to see that they (these countries) implement our framework decision on combating xenophobia and racism, including religious intolerance," she added.
Since October 2023, anti-Muslim incidents have been on a steep rise in Europe and the US.
In March, The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said anti-Muslim discrimination had risen in the US by 7.4 percent in 2024 following the start of Israel's carnage in besieged Gaza.
There was also a surge in anti-Muslim attacks in Europe that was also fuelled by Israel's carnage in the blockaded enclave.
Western countries have been quick to respond to alleged antisemitism accusations, with US President Donald Trump most notably going after many pro-Palestine students for protesting Israel's genocide in Gaza.
However, reported and documented Islamophobic incidents weren't taken as seriously.
