Pundit: Muslim communities are special target of right-wing parties across Europe [COMMENTARY]

Racial and religious hatred is the biggest plague in the modern world. Unfortunately, despite all social and economic developments, some people or communities have such hideous mindsets. They consider themselves and their religious thoughts superior in comparison with other ethnicities. Mankind has observed many wars and clashes between different religions and races but it has never witnessed such kind of hatred that the modern world bears. Unlike wars and clashes in the Ancient world and the Middle Ages, some modern wars, driven by racial and religious hatred, are observed with ethnic cleansing.

Today, an international event themed "Protecting Diversity: Fighting Islamophobia in 2024" held in Azerbaijan is dedicated to increasing joint efforts against the mentioned radical thinking. During the event, the representatives of OIC, UN, ICESCO and a number of organizations gave speeches and put forward valuable ideas on preventing the concept of Islamophobia.

Speaking at the opening of the event, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that today the European Union Parliament and PACE have become a platform that promotes Islamophobia.

“Unfortunately, certain Western institutions that also portray themselves as democratic are engaging in anti-Islamic activities. Today, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have become platforms that promote Islamophobia and pursue policies based on this ideology," the President said.

To distinguish the concept of Islamophobia, one can start with the mass cleansing policy of Armenia against the Muslim community in the South Caucasus.

The First Garabagh War, and the expulsion of Muslims, more precisely Azerbaijanis and Kurds, from Armenia in the 1990s is the best example of the said clashes. Armenians, driven by the sense of Islamaphobia and hatred against Turks, were not limited to expulsion of Azerbaijanis and Muslims from their hometowns but also destroyed all cultural heritages. They tried to erase all tracks of Muslims from Armenia and Garabagh.

It is worth noting that such kind of barbarity does not occur only in Asia, but in Europe as well, which is considered the Lokomotive of the modern world. For example, well-known Islamaphobic Dutch politician Geert Wilders called Muslims cockroaches, and several times insulted Quran, the holy book of Islam. Another example of an Islamophobic event has happened recently in France against Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijani culture.

In the modern world, where there is a fight for women's rights, the statue of Azerbaijani poetess Khurshud Banu Natavan is subjected to barbaric attacks in the Middle of Europe, which is considered the headquarters of the women's rights struggle. The officials of France, where there are thousands of statues of different people, could not tolerate the statue of a Muslim poetess who did not have any relations with politics and dismantled it in Evian-les-Bains. Such behavior of France, once again revealed the main character, literally hatred against Muslims, once again.

In a comment to Azernews on the issue, Irish political analyst and historian Patrick Walsh noted that the Armenians have an ideology that denies the genuineness of Azerbaijan as a nation. He said that the land upon which the Azerbaijan state was established has been subjected to Armenian claims for over a century.

“The destructive activity has essentially been aimed at erasing evidence of non-Armenian presence. In form it is Islamaphobic since it is directed at the expression of Islam, the main religion of Azerbaijanis but in substance it is an ethnic form of violence,” Walsh said.

As for the statue of Azerbaijani poetess Khurshud Banu Natevan, he said that the attacks on the statue are probably inspired by an Armenophile tendency in French society mixed with Islamaphobia. He also pointed out that there is increasing Islamaphobia across the West and much of this is anti-migrant and the Muslim communities are the special target of right-wing parties across Europe.

“Anti-Muslim has increased in recent months in response to demonstrations in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. The right, which used to be antisemitic is now strongly pro-Zionist. It sees Muslims as the enemy today. Of course, these groups are often pro-Armenian too, because they identify the Armenians as a Christian people under attack from the ‘Muslim hordes’,” the Irish historian underscored.

He also touched on Geert Wilders issue and said that he is the most extreme example of what I have described - anti-migrant and anti-Muslim. Patrick noted that he is a provocative character with a total intolerance of Islam engaging in highly inflammatory stunts that most people would find unacceptable.

“In the UK for example such behaviour would be criminal. However, the Dutch have a strong libertarian culture that is opposed to the multiculturalism one finds in the UK or Ireland. This permits attacks on religion which we would find outrageous and a danger to the public good. Unfortunately, this form of politics is on the rise across Europe and even in the UK there are manifestations of it, though less open and extravagant.

Basically, the anti-Islamic sentiment found in the West is an anti-migrant phenomenon. The West has a declining birth rate and needs migrants. However, the large amounts of immigration seen lately have enabled right-wing anti-Islamic groups to increase their support, directing their ire at society problems at incoming Muslims,” the pundit concluded.