AhlulBayt News Agency

source : MNA
Monday

15 June 2009

7:30:00 PM
169788

Report describes prejudice against Muslims in the West

The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a report on August 5 describing the human rights challenges of Muslims living in Western countries.

The report focuses on the problems of Muslims living in the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Australia.  The report elaborates on the challenges Muslims are facing in the U.S. such as the intensification and expansion in the campaign against Islam after the September 11 attacks in various areas, especially in government policies, the desecration of mosques and other Islamic centers, and the increase in discrimination against Muslims and the violation of their rights under the pretext of the campaign against terrorism and the concerns of the United Nations about terrorism. The report says Muslims living in Canada face a number of challenges, such as the campaign against Islam, discrimination against women who wear headscarves, discrimination in employment, other types of discrimination, the excessive surveillance of Muslims and Islamic centers under the pretext of the campaign against terrorism, and Canada’s opposition to the United Nations resolution prohibiting the slander of religions. The report also described discrimination against Muslims living in European countries, the violations of their rights, and the other problems Muslims living in Europe are facing, such as: * The intensification and expansion in the campaign against Islam and anti-Islamic propaganda and the promotion of religious prejudice against Muslims;  * The expansion of policies conducive to a general campaign against Islam by European governments;  * The increase in anti-Islamic propaganda and disrespect toward Islamic sanctities in the media, such as the publication of cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (S) in a derogatory way and the production of an anti-Islamic film;  * The increase in coordination between rightwing parties in their anti-Muslim activities; * The increase in the mistreatment of Muslims under the pretext of the campaign against terrorism and the unusual and disproportionate increase in the incarceration of Muslims in France and some other European countries;    * The establishment of harsher immigration policies toward Muslims; * Discrimination against and mistreatment of Muslims by the police and other government institutions; * Prejudice against women who wear headscarves;   * The prohibition on wearing hijab in schools and government offices in eight of Germany’s states; * The prohibition on wearing hijab in France’s schools and the expulsion of females who wear headscarves from those schools; * Discrimination in employment, especially against Muslim women; * Discrimination in housing and the ghettoization of Muslims; * Discrimination in education; and  * The denial of permission to construct mosques, Islamic centers, and minarets.

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