On 8 October 2026, EMISCO gathered human rights defenders, civil society representatives and international experts in Warsaw, on the margins of the OSCE/ODIHR Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, to address racism, Islamophobia, discrimination and the growing normalisation of hatred across Europe.
During our side event and our contribution to the plenary session on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination, we warned that Europe is facing a dangerous erosion of its fundamental values. We emphasised that discriminatory political rhetoric is no longer confined to the margins of society. It is increasingly finding its way into mainstream political discourse, public institutions and legislative initiatives.
On that very same day, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that raises precisely the concerns we had been denouncing in Warsaw.
The resolution, initiated by Céline Imart of the European People’s Party, calls for an EU strategy against Islamist entryism and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network. It was adopted with 381 votes in favour, including support from mainstream conservative and liberal representatives alongside far-right political groups.
This convergence deserves serious political and moral scrutiny.
Let us be clear: combating violent extremism, terrorism and unlawful political interference is a legitimate responsibility of democratic institutions. But such efforts must never become a pretext for stigmatising religious communities, restricting fundamental freedoms or treating Muslim civil society organisations as inherently suspect.
We are particularly concerned by political approaches that blur the distinction between legitimate security concerns and the peaceful exercise of freedom of religion, association and expression.
When the language of suspicion replaces the language of rights, discrimination risks becoming institutional policy.
For years, European institutions have encouraged civil society to combat hatred, defend minorities and promote inclusion. Yet organisations representing European Muslims increasingly find themselves obliged to justify their legitimacy, their independence and even their right to participate in democratic life.
The contradiction is deeply troubling.
How can Europe credibly promote tolerance and non-discrimination through the OSCE while political majorities within its own Parliament support measures that risk reinforcing suspicion towards an entire religious community?
How can we condemn Islamophobia in international forums while allowing narratives associated with exclusionary politics to shape our institutional priorities?
The participation of representatives from the political centre alongside the far right is particularly alarming. It illustrates how ideas once associated with extremist political movements can progressively acquire mainstream legitimacy.
EMISCO refuses to accept this normalisation.
We call upon European institutions to ensure that every measure addressing extremism is based on verifiable evidence, individual responsibility, proportionality and full respect for fundamental rights.
We also call upon OSCE/ODIHR to strengthen its monitoring of anti-Muslim hatred, discriminatory political discourse and institutional practices across participating States.
Europe cannot defend human rights internationally while weakening their protection at home.
The credibility of our democratic institutions will not be measured by the declarations they adopt in Warsaw, Strasbourg or Brussels, but by their willingness to protect the same fundamental freedoms for everyone, without exception.
Human rights cannot be selective. Equality cannot be conditional. And freedom of religion cannot become a privilege granted only to those who escape political suspicion.
Download the press release (PDF)
EMISCOEuropean Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion
8 October 2026