Russia’ invasion of Ukraine blatantly exposed the “stereotypical perspective” of Europeans with regards to refugees, particularly displaced Muslims, said a new report on Islamophobia in the continent.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has uncovered the stereotypical perspective of many Europeans vis-à-vis different kinds of refugees, welcoming white, Christian (female) Ukrainians as opposed to the often-violent resistance and rejection of Muslim refugees,” said the European Islamophobia Report 2022, released Tuesday on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Enes Bayrakli, a co-editor of the report, who is also a professor at the Turkish-German University, said anti-Muslim statements in national media, racism in laws and policies were discussed in the publication, which covers 23 countries.

The report was launched in a webinar and the panel was shared by four authors, including Farid Hafez, a professor at the Williams College in Massachusetts, US. The state of Islamophobia in France, Belgium, Austria and Netherlands was discussed in the event.

Speaker Kawtar Najib said 2022 in France was particularly Islamophobic in the political and media sphere, notably during the presidential election. “Islamophobia is very present in politics and even embedded in laws. So, instead of having laws that protect religious and ethnic minorities, we have many discriminatory laws,” he said.

CURRENTPH NEWS SERVICE