Muslim group offers hope for an inclusive Europe despite far-right attacks

“Working for a diverse, cohesive, and vibrant Europe” is the motto that drives FEMYSO – the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations – as it establishes itself as the leading voice for European Muslim youth.

FEMYSO is an umbrella organisation for 31 Muslim groups across 21 European countries, forging valuable links with influential institutions such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations.

FEMYSO's vision is to build a better Europe for all by closely collaborating with member organisations and other partners.

Platform for shaping Europe's future

Held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg every two years, the European Youth Event (EYE) brings together thousands of young people from Europe and beyond to discuss and debate the most important issues facing the continent.

The event provides a unique opportunity for young individuals to interact with experts, activists, influencers, and decision-makers in the heart of European Union.

“For Muslim youth, the EYE is especially important,” says Hande Taner, the president of FEMYSO. “In several European states, Muslim youth are subject to discrimination in their daily lives, which comes in the form of being denied a job that you're overqualified for, or a home that you meet all the criteria but the landlord refuses your application, the sole reason is often due to your faith, this is sadly the reality for young Muslims all over Europe.”

The EYE provides a robust platform to address these multifaceted challenges that Muslim youth face, ranging from daily struggles to pervasive discrimination in education and the labour market.

It is within these open spaces that Muslim youth can express their concerns and hopes, engaging in discourse on the common and differing challenges faced by Muslim youth in Europe.

FEMYSO’s agenda for the EYE 2023

“FEMYSO is bringing a delegation of 100 European Muslim youth to the EYE taking place at the European Parliament on the 9th and 10th of June,” says Hania Chalal, FEMYSO EYE2023 delegation lead.

Participating with a strong delegation of representatives from member organisations, independent Muslim activists, and FEMYSO volunteers aims to build bridges and engage with activists, influencers, and decision-makers.

“As FEMYSO, at this edition of the EYE, we will be focusing on advocation on three key areas; education, culture and discrimination,” adds Hania.

“This is due to the fact that Muslim students often face unequal access to educational resources and high-quality education due to institutional and structural racism that segregates students, leaving them with fewer and lower-quality education than their counterparts.”

She emphasised that to build a vibrant and cohesive society, it is essential for European youth to be exposed to different cultures and religions.

FEMYSO's presence offers thousands of participants a chance to interact with a dynamic and proactive delegation of young European Muslims.

“And lastly discrimination, which is an area that we believe European leaders are unwilling to take serious action against, Muslim youth are often the biggest victims of this inaction,” she stresses.

Through this exchange, FEMYSO aims to make a lasting impact, combat discrimination and racism, and ensure a more inclusive society for all European citizens.

Challenges: Far-right attack

FEMYSO also participated in the European Youth Event in 2021, aiming to foster engagement in democratic processes and address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education.

Their delegation, consisting of participants from various corners of Europe, ranging from Scotland to Albania, Gibraltar to Ukraine, and Finland to Italy, actively engaged in discussions to acquire knowledge about European institutions and provide concrete solutions to the current issues on the continent.

However, the efforts of FEMYSO participants to bring positive change to European society were aggressively undermined by the malicious actions of the far-right parties’ youth delegations.

The far-right Identity and Democracy Party (ID), led by Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini, also facilitated the attendance of their own youth delegation to the EYE, intending to undermine the event's message of diversity and tolerance.

The far-right youth group specifically targeted activities promoting anti-racism, defending the rights of refugees and minorities, and advocating against discrimination. Throughout the event, they launched verbal attacks, sabotaged workshops, and attempted to impose their right-wing ideology on participants.

Instances of verbal harassment, hate speech targeting Muslims on digital platforms and sabotage of workshops were witnessed by FEMYSO participants.

Similar attacks were also directed at Diaspora Vote, another organisation promoting anti-racism, and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), whose workshop focused on refugee rights.

Members of this far-right group, who spoke during the workshop titled “​​Check Your Bias: Become an Anti-Racist Ally”, claimed that white men also face racism and that Christians face discrimination due to their religion.

While the organisers of the workshops explained the history of slavery as the root of racism, a participant from the far-right group argued that Europe has always been "white and Christian," asserting the legitimacy of police violence that leads to incidents like the death of George Floyd.

On the final day of the event, FEMYSO issued a press statement calling for a thorough investigation into the racist attacks that took place.

They emphasised the pervasive nature of Islamophobia and racism within European institutions, reiterating the urgent need for collective efforts to overcome these issues.

During the closing session, Hiba Latreche, a member of the FEMYSO delegation, expressed concern and disappointment felt by Muslim participants due to the attacks they endured throughout the event.

She emphasised that European institutions should provide a safe environment for all citizens, urging concrete actions to address Islamophobia, starting from the European Parliament.

When asked about the far-right attacks in the previous EYE, Hande Taner mentioned the condemnation of such attacks by several MEPs.

“This deplorable act of aggression was rightly condemned by the leadership of European institutions, with a letter signed by 152 European parliamentarians calling for an inquiry into this incident submitted shortly after,” she says.

While the firm stance of certain MEPs against hate and intolerance within their parliament is encouraging, concerns arise for this year’s EYE.

“Far-right Members of the European Parliament have already begun pushing their conspiracy theories which led to the aggression perpetrated against our members during the last edition”, says Hande.

“We are actively monitoring the situation, and we hope there is a zero-tolerance policy towards such dangerous behaviour by the institutions on this occasion”.

Far-right’s anti-FEMYSO agenda

Catherine Griset, Gilbert Collard and Jean-Paul Garraud – members of the European Parliament for the Identity and Democracy Party (ID) – have posted online pieces that attack FEMYSO and urge for discriminating action against the organisation to prevent its members from attending this year's EYE 2023.

The fact that elected representatives are openly targeting a youth organisation, calling for exclusion and discrimination, speaks volumes about the erosion of principles that should underpin a democratic society.

By attempting to deny young individuals the opportunity to engage in a platform dedicated to fostering dialogue, understanding and positive change, Griset, Garraud, and others are not only stifling diversity of thought but also perpetuating an environment where intolerance and exclusion are given a platform.

“Undeterred by fascists, we will continue our work towards creating a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe for all,” concludes Hande.