The Intertwined Rise of European Nationalism and Islamophobia: A Point of Concern
Author: EMAN Staff
Since the 9/11 attacks, Islamophobia – which is defined as the dislike of, or prejudice against, Islam or Muslims, has become a global phenomenon, fueled in part by the rise of Islamist extremist organisations, particularly al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Daesh and their violent attacks around the world. The post-9/11 ramifications of Islamophobia and subsequent terrorist attacks carried out in Europe and elsewhere in the name of Islam have also contributed to a climate of fear and suspicion towards Muslims.
In today’s world, the emergence of Islamophobia in Europe is closely intertwined with the increasing prevalence of nationalist ideologies across many European countries, particularly France, Denmark, and Austria. The rise of European nationalism has been fueled by a combination of factors, including concerns over immigration, economic insecurity, and perceived threats to national identity and culture. However, the point of concern is the growing trend of Islamophobia being normalised and incorporated into the institutional structures of these liberal democracies.
Many nationalist movements in Europe often present Muslims as a major threat to the perceived homogeneity and traditions of their countries. This phenomenon is not surprising, given that some media organisations have fuelled further intolerance and fanned the flames of the “us vs. them” mentality – particularly associating Muslims with terrorism and violence. This portrayal reinforces negative stereotypes and contributes to the stigmatisation of Muslims in some parts of Europe.
According to a 2022 report released by the Collective for Countering Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE), there was a notable increase in Islamophobia and the associated policies during that year. The organisation urged the EU Commission to appoint a coordinator specifically focused on combating anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination, with the aim of effectively countering the rise of far-right extremism and racism.
Throughout 2022, CCIE reported being alerted to a total of 787 incidents classified as Islamophobic. These included 527 acts of Islamophobic behaviour, 467 cases of discrimination, 128 cases of provocation, 71 cases of insulting behaviour, 59 cases of moral harassment, 44 cases of defamation, 27 cases of physical violence, and 33 cases associated with the efforts against radicalisation and separatism.
At EMAN, we are aware that the rise of nationalism and Islamophobia in Europe is not a uniform trend across all countries or communities and that many Europeans reject these ideologies and advocate for greater tolerance and inclusion of minority groups, including Muslims.
Europe’s shift to the right and the emergence of far-right political parties, whether in Sweden, Denmark, France, or Austria, has contributed to the normalisation of Islamophobia. They often use anti-Muslim rhetoric to gain support, and their activities have been associated with hate crimes and violent attacks targeting Muslim communities. A popular example of the disturbing trend of anti-Muslim behaviour can be seen in the actions of the prominent Danish far-right extremist, Rasmus Paludan (click here to visit his updated profile on our database), who has repeatedly burned copies of the Quran in Denmark and Sweden in a deliberate attempt to provoke Muslims.
The provocative Islamophobic behaviour of Rasmus Paludan has sparked geopolitical tensions between Türkiye and Sweden. Sweden’s potential membership in the NATO alliance, along with its neighbour Finland, has become a point of contention due to the Swedish government’s perceived lack of action against Paludan’s anti-Muslim hatred.
“Sweden, don’t even bother! As long as you allow my holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn, and you do so together with your security forces, we will not say ‘yes’ to your entry into NATO,” President Erdogan stated.
UK authorities have recently added Paludan to their “warning index” and prohibited him from entering the country, due to his plans to publicly burn a copy of the Quran during the holy month of Ramadan in Wakefield.
Another recent Islamophobic example can also be found in some members of the Danish far-right group, Patrioterne Gar Live, who have also resorted to burning the Quran along with the Turkish national flag outside Türkiye’s embassy in Copenhagen, as a means of expressing their hatred towards the Scandinavian Muslim communities.
“This act, which was carried out in Ramadan, has once again clearly revealed that Islamophobia, discrimination and xenophobia have reached an alarming level in Europe and that no lessons have been learned from the past,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated the very next day.
In a similar incident in the Netherlands, Edwin Wagensveld, the head of the far-right organisation, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA), desecrated a copy of the Quran in January 2023. He further made a statement in which he warned that “soon, there will be registrations for similar actions in several cities, time to answer disrespect from Islam with disrespect.”
Similarly in France, the Grand Mosque of Paris made allegations against Michel Houellebecq, a French writer, of engaging in discriminatory rhetoric and actions against Muslims in December 2022. Houellebecq’s article, in which he stated that individuals in France were “arming themselves” and potentially targeting Muslim establishments, was the subject of controversy.
“People are arming themselves. They are procuring rifles and taking shooting courses … I think acts of resistance will occur when entire territories fall under Islamic control.” Houellebecq claimed.
In 2018, the UK monitoring group Tell Mama recorded an increase in Islamophobic attacks, with 1,201 confirmed incidents reported in 2017. This marked a 26% rise from the previous year and was the highest number of incidents documented since the organisation began recording incidents.
The unprecedented increase was attributed to the growth of far-right movements, as well as a significant number of “trigger” incidents. The terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, for example, fueled a surge of anti-Muslim sentiment across the United Kingdom.
The Islamist Problem
Jihadist organisations have in the past attempted to justify their terrorist attacks by claiming they are defending Muslims and Islam. It is well known, of course, that the vast majority of all terrorist attacks launched by extremist Islamist groups in the past two decades, regardless of geography, have targeted civilians. This is true for terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda in Europe, the US, and the Middle East from the 1990s until the mid-2010s, and the countless attacks carried out by Daesh – predominantly across the Muslim World – since the group was established. There are seldom cases where Islamist extremist organisations were engaged in armed combat against armed forces who were actively trying to target a population group that this extremist organisation was claiming to defend.
Terrorist organisations, however, have proven adept at exploiting the disillusionment felt by some communities and turning it into a religious war against a heretic enemy bent on destroying Muslims. Their propaganda campaigns have also enabled them to justify attacks against targets in Muslim countries – making the claim that Islamic governments are also legitimate targets, citing their foreign policies, alliances with Western (or other non-Muslim countries fighting terrorism), and their lack of implementation of what those terrorist groups see as the “correct implementation” of Islam. The Charlie Hebdo attack in 2016 is a prime example of this, as it was carried out by a member of Daesh and his brother, who cited the publication’s depictions of the Prophet Muhammad as a justification for their violent actions.
In addition to armed terrorist organisations, radical Islamist preachers that condemn violence have also often exploited the fear faced by Europe’s Muslim communities. In doing so, these preachers – often with sympathies and ties with the global Muslim Brotherhood organisation – have attempted, and in many cases succeeded in creating small and reclusive Muslim communities composed of refugees from conflict zones, and Western Muslims that have faced difficulty assimilating. Those preachers are adept at manipulating the lack of identity that some youth may feel, and offer them a community where they “feel safe” to practise their religion. In reality, it is within those circles that radical thoughts are slowly nurtured, and intolerant ideas are cultivated over the long term.
However, the rise of Islamophobia in Europe cannot be overlooked as it remains a significant challenge for Europe. It creates a sense of fear and insecurity among Muslim communities and undermines the principles of democracy and human rights that are essential to a functioning and inclusive global society. As the world moves towards a world where Jihadist organisations and Middle East conflict zones are not making headlines every day like they were in the years following 9/11, the US invasion of Iraq and later the Arab Spring, we must be cautious to combat hate speech of all sorts, particularly as we enter a more turbulent world characterised by great power competition, a war in Europe, and a collective decrease in trust for governments and state institutions.
