90% of discrimination cases in Belgium involve Muslims

BRUSSELS

Patrick Charlier, director of the Interfederal Center for Equal Opportunities (Unia), highlighted the worrying rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe, noting that in Belgium, nine out of 10 people who face discrimination are Muslim, especially veiled women.

A report published last week by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), “Being Muslim in the EU: Experiences of Muslims”, showed a significant increase in racism and discrimination against Muslims since 2016.

The survey, conducted with responses from 9,000 respondents in 13 EU member states between October 2021 and October 2022, found that one in two Muslims face discriminatory treatment on a daily basis.

Discrimination against Muslim women, men and children stems not only from their religion, but also from factors such as skin colour, ethnic origin and immigration history. Young European-born Muslims and veiled women are particularly affected.

Belgium has become a key problem area, with 43% of Muslims in that country reporting discrimination in housing.

Charlier, who has led the Equal Opportunity Center since 1993, underscored the gravity of the situation, pointing to hostility toward Muslims in education, employment and society.

“For Belgium, when we talk about religious and philosophical faith, we are talking about 90% Muslims. The vast majority, nine out of 10, is according to Muslims facing discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes,” Charlier said.

“In the last year, the most remarkable cases are in the field of employment, discrimination in work. Most women are victims of discrimination. When we talk about women employees, they are mostly headscarf cases,” he said.

Between 2017 and 2023, the center primarily addressed cases of employment discrimination, with additional incidents occurring on social media and in schools, Charlier noted.

Anti-immigrant sentiment also fuels anti-Muslim sentiment

“I think discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes are serious. I do not want to undermine the reality and plight of Muslims in our country. This is reality. It is not growing very much. It is stable,” he said.

“We are not outside of discrimination against Muslims. We are not outside of Islamophobia. There is an indirect link as well with a form of what we call more xenophobia,” he said.

“That’s all the talk against asylum seekers and migration. It doesn’t focus directly on Muslims, but we know that this anti-migrant discourse is often with the idea of ​​”meaning Muslims coming from Syria, from now Palestine, from Afghanistan and so on”. But that doesn’t register with us as “discrimination against Muslims”. It’s more xenophobia,” he added.

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