Islamophobia: Shock evidence for its rise in FRA survey in Greece and Europe –

A “worrying wave” of racism against Muslims across Europe (and in Greece), says a survey by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). According to the survey of 9,600 from 13 member states, Europe’s Muslim population is facing ever-increasing racist discrimination fueled by “inhumane anti-Muslim rhetoric”.

The data of the survey shows that more than half of the respondents reported that they were victims of discrimination in many aspects of their daily lives. According to the findings, their children are bullied at school and they themselves face inequalities in access to work and prejudice when it comes to renting or buying a home.

Although the investigation was completed before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the brutal massacre in Gaza that continues, the Vienna-based organization said information from civil society organizations and national authorities suggested that the number of anti-Muslim incidents has continued to rise since the conflict broke out.

Following the attacks on 7 October, authorities across Europe have been faced with the difficult task of curbing the rise in hate crimes targeting Muslim and Jewish communities.

The FRA, which conducted its survey of Muslims in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, found that 47% reported experiencing racism in the five years before 2022, up from 39% in 2016.

Connection to the far right

Rates of reported discrimination appear to be closely linked to the rise of the far right. In Austria, where the anti-immigrant Freedom Party (FPÖ) of Nazi origin recently emerged as the party with the most votes, 71% of Muslims reported racist attitudes towards them. In neighboring Germany, where the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is steadily gaining ground, 68% of respondents reported discrimination.

Across the 13 Member States surveyed, 39% of Muslims reported discrimination in the labor market, while 41% work in jobs for which they are overqualified. A third of respondents (35%) said they had been prevented from buying or renting a home due to discrimination, up from 22% in 2016.

The consequences of this racism have a serious and long-lasting impact. Muslims are more likely to live in poverty, crammed into overcrowded housing and two and a half times more likely to work on temporary contracts. Muslim respondents were three times more likely to leave school early than the general population across the EU.

More than half of European-born Muslims (55%) said they had experienced racial discrimination when looking for work in the past five years, suggesting they are not treated equally despite having the same language skills and qualifications as non-Muslims .

Women who wear religious clothing, such as the headscarf, also reported higher rates of discrimination in the labor market. When it came to women between the ages of 16 and 24 who wear religious attire, the reported rate of discrimination rose to 58%.

The situation in Greece

As far as Greece is concerned, 27% of the Muslim men who took part in the survey state that they have experienced discrimination, while the corresponding percentage for women is 22%. 23% of respondents encountered racist behavior when renting or buying a house in Greece. Regarding the special subgroup of Syrian Muslims, 32% feel worried in Greece because they receive indecent looks and gestures.

One of the striking facts about the situation in Greece is that 61% of Syrian Muslim men have been stopped by the police on the street, the highest percentage of any other country, while overall the corresponding percentage for all Muslims regardless of origin is 89% . In addition, 94% of all Muslims have faced verification in our country. However, 64% responded that they felt the police treated them with respect.

As far as education is concerned, in Greece only 1% of Muslims have completed university studies, while at the same time our country is at the top of the ranking in terms of low-paid work with 47%. Regarding the difference in wages for the same job between Muslims and non-Muslims, 19% of respondents have noticed this. In Greece, Muslim men are paid 65% more than women, while 23% of Muslims work on fixed-term contracts. 83% of Syrian Muslims in Greece do not easily make ends meet, while 60% of African immigrants have trouble making ends meet. Of the entire Muslim population in Greece, 71% report serious shortages in material goods.

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