European Parliament resolution sparks fears of institutional Islamophobia

The resolution, spearheaded by French EPP member Céline Imart, calls for increased surveillance of EU funding to ensure no support reaches groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. While the motion lacks legal binding, it signals a sharp shift in the European People’s Party, which has increasingly aligned with far-right factions to frame Muslim political engagement as a threat to democratic institutions. The move has drawn fierce condemnation from civil society groups, including the European Network Against Racism, which labeled the rhetoric a return to discredited conspiracy theories.

This legislative hostility arrives as anti-Muslim sentiment reaches a documented peak. The Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe recorded 876 incidents in 2025 alone, with four out of five cases targeting women. Despite these rising figures, the European Commission’s own anti-Muslim hatred group has remained inactive since 2024. Researchers like Omran Shroufi of the Free University of Brussels warn that this institutional focus on a nebulous “entryism” forces Muslims into an impossible standard: they are criticized for forming parallel societies if they remain disengaged, yet treated as subversive threats if they attempt to participate in public life.