The Arab League held its second international conference in Cairo to combat Islamophobia. Speaking at the event, held under the theme 'Muslim communities in the West and their role in combating Islamophobia,' Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hüseyin Hendawi drew attention to the scale of the problem.
Hendawi said that Islamophobia has become more pronounced and widespread in recent years, and that with the growth of Muslim communities in the West, the phenomenon has become an integral part of the social and political landscape. "It can no longer be ignored," Hendawi said, adding that hostility toward Muslims has increased significantly, and that acts of violence, physical and verbal attacks, along with soft racism practices, cause psychological pressure and persistent discrimination, particularly against women.
Emphasizing that the situation in Europe has reached alarming levels, Hendawi shared the results of a 2024 survey. According to the survey, 47 percent of Muslims in Europe experienced racial discrimination in the last five years. This rate was 39 percent in 2016. Hendawi noted that only 6 percent of those who faced discrimination reported the incident to authorities, indicating that the true scale of the problem could be much larger than official statistics suggest.
Hendawi said that stereotypes randomly associating Muslims with terrorism, crime, or migration issues fuel the anti-Muslim environment, and that some political and media discourses escalate social tensions, racism, and hatred.
The first conference was held in July 2025 in Cairo, in cooperation with the Arab League General Secretariat and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The two-day second conference will address topics such as the role of religious institutions and Islamic centers in promoting moderate religious discourse, national, regional, and international practices in combating hate speech, and the role of educational institutions in strengthening the values of tolerance and acceptance of the other.
