Anti-Muslim hate crime

Although stereotypes against Muslims are centuries old, in recent years they have evolved and gained momentum under the conditions of the "war on terror", the global economic crisis and challenges related to the management of religious and cultural diversity. Anti-Muslim rhetoric often associates Muslims with terrorism and extremism, or portrays the presence of Muslim communities as a threat to national identity. Muslims are often portrayed as a monolithic group, whose culture is incompatible with human rights and democracy. ODIHR's reporting suggests anti-Muslim hate crimes and incidents increases following terrorist attacks, and on the anniversaries of such attacks. Attacks against mosques – particularly on Fridays and religious holidays – including leaving the remains of pigs outside mosques, community centres and Muslim families' homes, as well as attacks against women wearing headscarves, are among the anti-Muslim hate incidents commonly reported.

Beginning in 2002, OSCE participating States have explicitly condemned acts of discrimination and violence against Muslims and firmly rejected the identification of terrorism and extremism with any religion and culture. The Astana declaration (2010) stressed that international developments and political issues cannot justify any form of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, and encouraged participating States to challenge anti-Muslim prejudice and stereotypes.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes can be recorded under a variety of categories, including anti-religious hate crimes, crimes motivated by ethnic bias, and can also be reported separately or as racist and xenophobic crime. Muslim NGOs are developing their monitoring capacity through outreach and online reporting, in recognition of the importance of hate crime monitoring as an important advocacy tool. However, a lack of trust in the authorities in some countries also lead to under-reporting of anti-Muslim hate crime, and this appears to have a significant influence on hate crime figures reported to ODIHR.

ODIHR TANDIS

International Reports

Belgium

The UN Human Rights Committee encouraged Belgium to intensify its efforts to prosecute and punish racist crimes as well as anti-Semitic crimes and “Islamophobic” crimes.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted that attackers continued to damage religious sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also recommended that all “incidents of alleged racist violence be thoroughly and promptly investigated” and that the authorities “introduce systematic and comprehensive monitoring of all incidents which may constitute racist violence.”

France

 The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted that officials in France have taken a firm stance against “Islamophobia.”

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) issued a report in 2010 examining the discrimination and violence experienced by Muslim and non-Muslim youths in France. The report found that victims of violence and discrimination often suffered from feelings of social marginalization.

Poland

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted physical attacks against Muslims in Bialystok and crimes targeting Muslim places of worship.

Spain

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) issued a report examining the discrimination and violence experienced by Muslim and non-Muslim youths in Spain. The report found that victims of violence and discrimination often suffered from feelings of social marginalization.

United Kingdom

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) issued a report examining the discrimination and violence experienced by Muslim and non-Muslim youths in the United Kingdom. The report found that victims of violence and discrimination often suffered from feelings of social marginalization.