Defending equality is not extremism.
Following the publication on X of EMISCO’s “Two Europes, One Day” statement of 8 October 2026, the screenshots collected show replies that stigmatise Muslims, deny their place in Europe and call for their exclusion. A statement defending equal rights has itself become the target of anti-Muslim hostility.
The documented replies include “They have no place in Europe”, “Let them go back home” and “Peoples of the sands, return to your tents” (translated from French). Other messages portray Islam as a “cancer” and combine religious insults with direct abuse of Muslims. These examples illustrate collective rejection based on perceived religious identity; they do not establish the scale of the phenomenon beyond the material collected.
These reactions cannot be considered in isolation from the resolution adopted by the European Parliament this week and criticised in EMISCO’s “Two Europes, One Day” statement. In EMISCO’s assessment, this resolution lends institutional legitimacy to exclusionary rhetoric and emboldens those who use it. Supporting Palestinian rights and defending religious freedom and women’s equal participation cannot, in themselves, be treated as evidence of extremism.
EMISCO defends freedom of expression, including the right to criticise religions, ideas and institutions. Our concern is the targeting of people: denying Muslims equal belonging, dehumanising them and presenting an entire community as an inherent threat. No one should have to renounce their faith to be recognised as an equal citizen.
This is precisely the concern raised in EMISCO’s side event and plenary contribution at this week’s Warsaw Human Dimension Conference: repeated suspicion and exclusion can make hostility seem normal. Words have consequences. Muslim women whose faith is visible are particularly exposed, while discrimination can leave lasting harm in families and communities.
EMISCO calls on public authorities to condemn anti-Muslim dehumanisation; on X to assess the documented content under its rules and provide effective reporting procedures; and on OSCE/ODIHR, ECRI and other competent human rights bodies to strengthen monitoring and follow-up within their mandates. Civil society must stand together against exclusion and support those targeted.
Human rights cannot be selective. Equality cannot be conditional. We will continue to document hatred and defend a Europe in which everyone can live freely and in dignity.
Basis: EMISCO statements, 8 October 2026; four X screenshots collected on 10 October 2026.
Veysel FilizEMISCO Spokesperson
10 October 2026