Human rights organizations and NGOs condemn 'Islamophobic rhetoric' in European Parliament debate

Open letter to the President of the European Parliament

Amnesty International (the organization's European institution) and several human rights and civil society organizations expressed concern on Tuesday, November 10, over what they called racist and Islamophobic rhetoric during a debate in the European Parliament. In an open letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the organizations accused a number of MEPs of using defamatory language, hate speech and statements inciting discrimination during the October 7 debate on a resolution. This was reported by Anadolu.

The essence of the complaints against the MEPs and the resolution

According to the signatories of the letter, some MEPs portrayed Muslims as seeking to 'infiltrate' Europe's democratic institutions. Others, according to the letter, called for measures against Islamic religious practice: closing prayer rooms, banning headscarves and halal food, as well as deporting Muslims accused of placing the Quran above national constitutions. The authors of the letter warn that such rhetoric 'fuels hatred, stigmatization and criminalization of millions of people in Europe' on the basis of perceived religion or origin — at a time when these communities are already facing rising discrimination, hostility and violence. The organizations also criticized the resolution itself: in their view, it seeks to 'delegitimize civil society' by singling out anti-racist organizations for their work on the issue of Islamophobia and for equal access to rights for Muslims, including youth and students. The resolution, the letter states, relies on 'vague and unsubstantiated claims' and risks treating ordinary civil society activity — public advocacy and participation in democratic debate — as evidence of 'entrism.' The signatories warned that organizations documenting discrimination against Muslims may themselves face accusations of abusing anti-discrimination mechanisms, which could open the way to their exclusion from European institutions.

Statistics and demands to the European Parliament leadership

Citing a 2024 report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the authors of the letter note that 47% of Muslims surveyed said they had experienced racial discrimination over the previous five years. The signatories called on Metsola to publicly condemn what they say is hate speech and incitement to discrimination during parliamentary debates and to take formal measures. The publication does not report any reaction from the President of the European Parliament or the MEPs themselves; the letter remains an appeal rather than a decision adopted by EU institutions.