Internationally, Germany has often been lauded for its reckoning with the Holocaust – its so-called Erinnerungskultur, or culture of remembrance.1 Whether this at times gushing praise of Germany’s historical conscience is fully warranted is another matter.2 (The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party has, for one, always demanded that the country stop banging on about…
The leader and deputy leader of Britain First have been jailed for the religiously aggravated harassment of Muslims, and the group’s Facebook pages have been banned for inciting hatred. Facebook’s actions follow calls from authorities for social media firms to do more to combat hate speech.
Suspicious packages received by four Muslim MPs have been linked to the ‘Punish a Muslim day’ campaign. After the incidents were raised in Parliament, the Home Office said a definitive definition of Islamophobia was not needed as Islamophobia is already clearly recognised and effectively monitored.
France’s parliament has banned lawmakers from wearing any religious symbols under a new “neutral” dress code. Members of the National Assembly must avoid “the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols, uniforms, logos or commercial messages or political slogans.” Any expression made in the chamber must be spoken, said François de Rugy, the president of the National Assembly. In the…
Ahead of this year’s federal election in Germany, it is worth taking stock of the current assembly and its composition. More particularly, given the particular focus on issues of immigration and integration in the election campaign, the number of Muslim representatives it is worth scrutinising. To what extent do German Muslims actually have the possibility…
