‘Transforming’ Islamophobia highlight of int’l forum in Ankara
THE FOURTH edition of the Media and Islamophobia Forum, organized by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), wrapped up on Thursday in the capital of Ankara. Associate Professor and Ambassador Hasan Doğan, a theology and law expert who currently serves as the Turkish Presidency’s Chief of Staff, spoke at a session of the forum about “transforming” Islamophobia.
Doğan noted that the designation of March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia (by the United Nations in 2022) raised awareness of the issue.
He stressed that hostility toward Islam increased in Europe in recent years, noting 686 Islamophobic crimes in Germany in 2023 only, and figures showing that 35% of mosques in the United Kingdom were attacked at least once a year. “These indicate a serious hatred targeting a large community,” he stated.
Doğan hailed the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) definition of Islamophobia as discrimination people of the Islamic faith are subject to, highlighting that it was an important gain in recognition of Islamophobia. “Awareness toward Islamophobia is transforming, both as a concept and institutionally. Another example is the establishment of the Islamophobia Observatory by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” he said.
But Doğan expressed concern over extremist parties known for their antiMuslim statements accumulating power in Europe and underlined the need for Muslims to integrate into societies they lived in while preserving their faith and identity.
Doğan also lamented the fact that Islamophobia had no clear definition in legal systems. “Islamophobia and similar terms should be more openly defined in our laws to raise awareness of the matter,” he said.
He concluded that “noise” (of Islamophobia) cannot muffle the voice of Islam and truth, and that the Muslim identity would continue “illuminating the world.”
Speaking at the same event, Professor Muhittin Ataman, a Daily Sabah columnist and Senior Foreign Policy Researcher at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), said Islamophobia was a “racist” term, and Islam was the only religion that received “phobia” suffix. Ataman stated that anti-Islam sentiment dramatically escalated since October 7 (the beginning of a new round of PalestinianIsraeli conflict) and a large-scale disinformation campaign targeting Palestinians and Hamas has been circulating since then.