Europe's racism problem

Racism against Muslims and Jews in Europe surges amid rising xenophobia linked to geopolitical tensions.

Muslims in Europe have experienced a sharp increase in racism and other forms of discrimination for several months, which increased further after the Hamas attack on Israel. It is also worth noting that Jews in Europe have been on the receiving end of increased anti-Semitism, which experts have linked to anti-Israel sentiment created by the country's genocidal response to the Hamas terrorist attack. Taken together, it is clear that while some of the abuse directed at Muslims and Jews may be due to outright racism, a significant share is also due to general xenophobia and anger over the international actions of associated groups. Neither of these groups had anything to do with the violent flashpoints, but they were on the receiving end of significant violent backlash - and there is a widespread belief that widening these fault-lines is part of the aim of terrorist groups and Israel alike, as it suits their narratives.

However, the sharp rise in racism and discrimination in countries including France, Austria, Germany and Finland is being attributed largely to migration and xenophobia, as the influx of thousands of Muslims, especially refugees, has impacted regional job markets, while right-wing media and racist influencers overplay crimes committed by migrants, even though migrant crime rates are generally lower or in line with native populations. What is true is that young males - aged 14 to 30 - are responsible for most crimes. Boys and men within this age range are just 9% of German citizens, but are responsible for over half of all violent crimes in the country. Young immigrant men are not provably more violent than locals of the same age, but their crimes end up being amplified by far-right media, creating anti-immigrant sentiment. Unfortunately, politicians also use Muslims as soft targets instead of trying to actually address problems such as housing shortages, job creation and improvement of social services.