MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE

A report, titled “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices”, released in the USA says that discrimination against Muslims all across Europe is alarmingly on the rise. “[We see] discrimination against Muslims, including hate crimes, in Europe,” Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, said announcing the release of the annual report on human rights. It specifically highlighted the most recent case in Switzerland, where a constitutional amendment was passed to ban the construction of mosque minarets. In Austria, the report said, there were excessive use of force by police and societal discrimination against Muslims, in addition to anti-Muslim tone in election campaigns. It grilled Germany for a series of anti-Muslim trends, including preventing Muslim organisations from their right to represent their community, and court rulings against veiled Muslims working in schools. The human rights report also cited anti-Islamic attacks against persons and property in Britain.