Supporters of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) group take part in a protest denouncing the burning in Sweden of the Quran, near Baghdad’s Green Zone. Image Courtesy: www.thearabweekly.com

Quran Burning Sparks International Outrage and Diplomatic Strain

Since June 2023, multiple acts of desecration of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark have ignited a global furor and raised profound questions about the limits of freedom of expression. This provocative act, marked by Quran burning and demonstrations, has unleashed a wave of condemnations from Muslim-majority nations and triggered a cascade of events with…

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Qur’an Burning in Sweden and The Netherlands: Freedom of Speech or Islamophobia?

Rasmus Paludan, a lawyer,  founder of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line) established in 2017.Much of the party’s agenda focuses on building an anti-Islam narrative and engaging in  provocative acts t towards Islam and Muslims. The party uses social media platforms and public gatherings to further their agenda. The Stram Kurs also seeks…

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Black Lives Matter in Germany: Protests, solidarity, and resilient colour-blindness

Like other European countries, Germany has witnessed a wave of demonstrations in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a US policeman. According to official (police) figures, on the first weekend of June 15,000 protesters attended a rally on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz square, and the largest demonstration in…

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Frankfurt University rocked by accusations of anti-Muslim racism

At the University of Frankfurt, a fierce debate has broken out over a proposed conference on the Islamic headscarf, signalling growing contestation over questions of identity and discrimination. Entitled “The Islamic headscarf – Symbol of dignity or of oppression?”, the conference is scheduled for May 8, 2019. Its principal organiser is Susanne Schröter, an anthropologist…

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Racism and far-right bias: Germany’s intelligence and policing institutions under scrutiny

Mesut Özil’s resignation from the Germany national football team after a racist witch-hunt that had blamed him and his Turkish heritage for Germany’s poor showing at the world cup in Russia energised anti-racist activism in Germany. Under the #MeTwo hashtag, countless internet users related their personal experiences of everyday discrimination and racism. Many of the stories shared…

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