Latest News

MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte

MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte
On Monday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will pay his first official visit to the European Parliament following his appointment on 1 October...
Read More...

Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments

Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments
  France has declared that the European Union will defend its "sovereign borders" against any threats, following U.S. President-Elect Donald...
Read More...

Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency

Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency
  On January 1, Poland assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty....
Read More...

King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message

King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message
  In his annual Christmas message delivered on December 24, King Philippe of Belgium turned the spotlight on the plight of children caught...
Read More...

Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives

Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives
Poland's Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, alongside Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior,...
Read More...

Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025

Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025 Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025
  Both the Flemish and federal parliaments in Belgium have decided to extend the freeze on party funding for another year, halting the...
Read More...

Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025

Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025 Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025
  Approximately 30 Belgian top diplomats will assume new postings in 2025, according to Le Soir. Countries such as Italy, Canada, Denmark,...
Read More...

Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024

Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024 Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024
  The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, presented the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan leaders...
Read More...

Must Read

Most Popular Stories

VIDEO AND audio news:

Features, views, analysis

business

Latest News

MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte

MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte MEPs to discuss European and global security with NATO Secretary General Rutte
On Monday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will pay his first official visit to the European Parliament following his appointment on 1 October...
Read More...

Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments

Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments Europe will not tolerate threats, says France, in response to Trump’s Greenland comments
  France has declared that the European Union will defend its "sovereign borders" against any threats, following U.S. President-Elect Donald...
Read More...

Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency

Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency Security tops the agenda for Poland’s EU Council presidency
  On January 1, Poland assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty....
Read More...

King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message

King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message King Philippe of Belgium reflects on war and hope in annual Christmas message
  In his annual Christmas message delivered on December 24, King Philippe of Belgium turned the spotlight on the plight of children caught...
Read More...

Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives

Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives Poland’s EU presidency priorities: minister Siemoniak outlines key objectives
Poland's Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, alongside Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior,...
Read More...

Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025

Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025 Belgian Parliaments extend freeze on party funding indexation for 2025
  Both the Flemish and federal parliaments in Belgium have decided to extend the freeze on party funding for another year, halting the...
Read More...

Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025

Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025 Around 30 Belgian ambassadors to change posts in 2025
  Approximately 30 Belgian top diplomats will assume new postings in 2025, according to Le Soir. Countries such as Italy, Canada, Denmark,...
Read More...

Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024

Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024 Parliament honours Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado with Sakharov Prize 2024
  The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, presented the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan leaders...
Read More...

Must Read

Most Popular Stories

 

Incidents of anti-Muslim violence and harassment in Germany have surged, with 1,926 cases recorded last year, according to the CLAIM network of NGOs.

This represents a 114% increase from 2023, with a significant rise following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel from Gaza.

Notable incidents included an attempted arson on a mosque in Bochum marked with a swastika, a Muslim family’s door in Saxony being shot at by a right-wing extremist neighbor, and a woman being pushed onto train tracks in Berlin after being asked if she belonged to Hamas.

Rima Hanano, speaking at a Berlin news conference, criticized German authorities for their inadequate attention to this rise in anti-Muslim incidents and for sometimes denying its existence. She highlighted that mainstream political parties have adopted policies from far-right, anti-Islam parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has surged in popularity and claims that Islam does not belong to Germany.

“The streets, buses, or mosques are no longer safe places for people who are Muslim or perceived as such,” Hanano stated. “Anti-Muslim racism was never as socially acceptable as today and it comes from the middle of society.”

CLAIM’s report indicated that most incidents involved verbal abuse, primarily targeting women, and included 90 attacks on Islamic religious sites and four attempted murders. These figures likely represent only a fraction of the total incidents due to underreporting and lack of monitoring institutions.

Germany’s Muslim population has been growing rapidly, particularly since the 2015-16 influx of migrants, and now stands at 5.5 million, or 6.6% of the overall population.

This increase in anti-Muslim incidents aligns with a 140% rise in Islamophobic crimes recorded by the interior ministry and a survey indicating that half of Germans hold Islamophobic views. Antisemitism has also risen following Israel's military actions in Gaza post the October 7 Hamas attack.

German authorities, especially in light of the country’s history with antisemitism, have been more vocal about antisemitism than anti-Muslim incidents. Economy Minister Robert Habeck criticized some Muslim community groups for not distancing themselves sufficiently from Hamas or anti-Jewish hatred.

Last year, the German government published its first independent report on Islamophobia, offering recommendations to tackle discrimination. Family Minister Lisa Paus acknowledged the dramatic rise in both anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents, noting government efforts to fund civil society projects for early prevention.

However, Hanano emphasized that more substantial action is needed. “Despite the fact ... that we have been warning about this situation for years, it is still barely acknowledged,” she said. “What we really need is the political will to truly fight anti-Muslim racism.” Photo by Fibonacci Blue from Minnesota, USA, Wikimedia commons.

deneme