European Muslims face rising 'Islamophobia' - Report

Muslims across Europe are confronting a rise in 'Islamophobia' ranging from violent attacks to discrimination in the job and housing markets, a wide-ranging European Union report said today.

The study, compiled by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, urged European authorities to strengthen policies on integration.

However, it also noted that Muslims need to do more to counter negative perceptions driven by terrorism and upheavals such as the backlash to cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

The 117-page survey details the many divides between the EU mainstream and the estimated 13 million Muslims – now at least 3.5% of the 25-nation bloc - and seeks to offer a street-level view of the complexities blocking efforts to bridge the differences.

“The disadvantaged position of Muslim minorities, evidence of a rise in Islamophobia and concern over processes of alienation and radicalisation have triggered an intense debate in the European Union,” wrote Beate Winkler, director of the Vienna-based group.

The report reinforces the growing urgency to tackle religious tensions and suspicions in Europe.