Europe was the second most significant hotspot for Islamophobic incidents in 2024, according to the latest annual Islamophobia report of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Islamophobia often takes the form of online hate, which is relatively high in Europe compared to other regions across the globe.
“August and September witnessed a steady increase in Islamophobic manifestations, particularly in the United Kingdom, where debates over immigration policy intensified, and in Germany, where far-right demonstrations targeting Muslim communities gained momentum,” the OIC report said.
Muslims represent the second-largest religious group in the EU, with around 26 million living in the bloc.
In the EU, nearly one in two Muslims said they experience racial discrimination, up from 39% in 2016, according to the latest report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
This was especially felt in the labour and housing markets in the five years before the survey took place in 2022.
The FRA also pointed out that there has been a noticeable increase in anti-Muslim incidents in the EU since the Hamas attacks in Israel in October 2023, particularly in Austria, Belgium and Bulgaria.
For instance, Austria experienced an increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes, with over 1,500 incidents reported in 2023 — the highest number since 2015.
Austria (71%), Germany (68%) and Finland (63%) also reported the highest rates of discrimination among 13 EU countries between 2017 and 2022.
What forms does Islamophobia take?
Globally, far-right campaigns represent the largest category of incidents, at 25%.
Hate speech follows closely as the second most common occurrence, representing about a fifth of all incidents.
Discrimination and verbal and physical assault share similar results, together accounting for more than a quarter of all incidents.
In the EU, France and Germany are considered hotspots for Islamophobia due to heightened levels of anti-Islam activity, according to the OIC report.
It said that the high rate of incidents can be attributed to the resurgence of far-right political movements in countries like France, Germany, and Sweden, where anti-immigration sentiment often manifests as Islamophobia.
However, Europe’s legal protections against discrimination are working to challenge and reduce Islamophobic attitudes and policies.