NCJ Number
215663
Date Published
November 2005
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This paper examines trends in attacks on the person and property of Muslims residing in the European Union (EU) after a group of British Muslims detonated four bombs in the center of London on July 7, 2005; recommendations focus on how to prevent retaliatory attacks on Muslims in EU countries.
Abstract
The National Focal Point reports indicate there were retaliatory attacks against Muslims and their property; however, these attacks tended to be sporadic and isolated. This paper recommends an expansion of public gestures toward Islam that include opening a dialog with Muslim community representatives on how to address tension between Muslims and non-Muslims and counter violent radicalism in Islam. The European Union should encourage the involvement of Muslim communities in policymaking related to issues that affect Muslim communities, with attention to self-organization through capacity-building and leadership development. Further, police must encourage the reporting of hate crimes, and member states should establish monitoring procedures to assess the progress of social inclusion and measures to counter discrimination. Official and unofficial reports show a significant short-term increase in the number of incidents against Muslims in Britain in the immediate aftermath of the bombings. The fact that the incidents were not widespread or severe was due to a variety of factors. These included the swift responses by EU governments, politicians, and opinion makers, supported by the police, in emphasizing to the public that the bombings were the actions of a few individuals who did not represent the attitudes and beliefs of Muslims in general. This view was confirmed when Muslim organizations across the European Union strongly condemned the London bombings and resolved to oppose violent radicalism in Islam. This paper provides detailed accounts of incidents against Muslims in specific EU member states and how government officials and the media have responded. 215 notes