Paris:Istanbul From threatening graffiti on mosques to attacks on worshippers, anti-Muslim hatred has left communities across Europe fearing for their safety. A deadly shooting near Paris on Friday has heightened those concerns, killing one person and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl wearing a headscarf whose mother said she was shot eight times. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh described it as "objectively a racist attack, probably Islamophobic."
According to Anadolu Agency – English, the UN's envoy on Islamophobia warned that hostility toward Muslims is becoming embedded in Europe's political discourse and spreading through its institutions, likening its spread to a "metastasis." Miguel Angel Moratinos, the UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia, expressed these concerns at the 9th Mediation Conference in Istanbul.
In England and Wales, police recorded 5,132 hate crimes targeting Muslims in the year ending March 2026, marking a 15% increase from the previous year, based on Home Office figures. In Germany, the monitoring organization CLAIM documented 4,096 anti-Muslim incidents in 2025, including two homicides and 214 cases of bodily injury, compared with 3,080 the previous year.
Moratinos emphasized the need for governments to challenge rhetoric that normalizes hostility toward Muslim communities and turn commitments against discrimination into action. He called for strengthening legal frameworks, investing heavily in education, and establishing monitoring mechanisms to address Islamophobia.
He also commented on the international emphasis on security post-9/11, suggesting that it has deepened instability in the Middle East. Moratinos urged a return to negotiations that consider the interests and aspirations of all parties, warning that military force cannot replace political engagement.
Finally, Moratinos advocated for changes in the operation of the UN, highlighting the need for the Secretary-General to pursue diplomacy without restrictions from member states. He described Israel's decision to bar UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country as "unacceptable," stressing the importance of welcoming the representative of the whole of humanity.