WSF Online Meeting: An Islamophobia Crisis: Confronting the Surge in Anti-Muslim Hostility and the Urgent Need for Action, 11 May 2026
On 11 May, Forward Thinking’s Women for a Sustainable Future Network and UK Programme Network convened online with Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative to discuss the latest data and trends on Islamophobia in Europe, including the role of the war in Gaza as a driver of anti-Muslim hostility, and to identify recommendations at the national and parliamentary levels to address Islamophobia and protect affected communities.
Leading the discussion was Dr Farid Hafez, a non-resident Senior Researcher at the Bridge Initiative and Associate Teaching Professor of International Relations at William and Mary. The Bridge Initiative is a leading research centre at the forefront of documenting the rise of Islamophobia and its entrenchment in political systems and public institutions across the globe. Parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, community and faith leaders, diplomats, journalists, civil society leaders, and researchers joined from Iraq, Ireland, Sudan, Türkiye, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Participants warned that anti-Muslim racism has become increasingly normalised across Europe, driven by harmful stereotypes and the conflation of Islam with “political Islam” and security threats. Concerns were raised about the use of counterterrorism frameworks to justify excessive and invasive surveillance measures, restrictions on religious practice, and the marginalisation of Muslim communities. According to recent research carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, almost half of Muslims in Europe report experiencing racial discrimination, with the highest rates recorded across employment and housing practices. Muslim women, particularly those wearing the religious markers, face heightened barriers to work and harassment, which is nonetheless acutely underreported on in the media.
Speakers stressed that Islamophobia must be recognised as a structural and political issue requiring urgent policy attention, rather than a fringe phenomenon. They called on Council of Europe member states to fully implement recommendations such as European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) General Policy Recommendation No. 4 on preventing and combating anti-Muslim racism and discrimination, as well as greater recognition of gendered Islamophobia, and more meaningful engagement with Muslim communities, while emphasising the importance of coalition-building and interfaith solidarity in challenging far-right narratives and defending democratic values across Europe.