Europe is in trouble, and it is blaming Muslims

As protests successful France turned convulsive precocious past week, the French acold close rapidly resorted to racist connection to blasted the Muslim younker for the violence. Weeks earlier, erstwhile thousands of migrants tried to participate the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, the Spanish acold close spoke of an organised “invasion” by Moroccans.

United States President Donald Trump has besides chimed in, claiming that this is astir “Islam wanting to instrumentality over”.

While the acold right’s readiness to exploit crises to substance Islamophobia is to beryllium expected, the thought that Islam and Muslims are to blasted for Europe’s increasing woes is nary longer reserved for that utmost of the European governmental spectrum.

Last week, portion pupil protests were heating up successful France, the European Parliament softly passed a solution “on the request for an EU strategy to antagonistic Islamist entryism and the power of the Muslim Brotherhood network”. The substance was tabled by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the largest radical successful the parliament, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hails from.

It passed with 381 votes successful favour, 167 against and 15 abstentions. Four different groups backed the EPP astir unanimously: the far-right Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations, the wide Renew Europe, and the European Conservatives and Reformists.

The Social Democrats, the Left and the Greens mostly voted against but could not halt it.

The resolution, which draws connected a highly problematic report by the French authorities connected “political Islamism”, makes a fig of flawed claims that person wide-ranging implications for Muslim communities.

It defines “Islamist entryism” arsenic “a governmental strategy of influence, progressive structuring, organization penetration and ideological legitimisation”. It claims that “Islamist power operates done a wide and fragmented ecosystem of associations, foundations and cultural, educational, religious, charitable, university, youth, anti-discrimination oregon societal enactment structures”.

More specifically, it says that “diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-discrimination frameworks whitethorn beryllium diverted arsenic vectors of organization legitimisation, by integrating a politicised spiritual individuality into morganatic causes for the extortion of minorities”. In different words, networks similar the Muslim Brotherhood “infiltrate” European societies done anti-Islamophobia initiatives.

The solution is not binding and European Union subordinate states bash not person to instrumentality it. Its telephone to enactment the Muslim Brotherhood and affiliated individuals and entities connected a panic database is improbable to beryllium implemented crossed Europe, fixed the movement’s renunciation of unit arsenic a governmental tool.

However, the solution inactive gives legitimacy to an ideological model that tin person sedate implications for Muslim communities.

It puts nether suspicion Muslim institutions and organisations that run independently of the authorities and presents the inclusion of Muslim civilian nine successful nationalist enactment arsenic a signifier of infiltration.

The solution names respective organisations, including the Brussels-based European Network Against Racism (ENAR), arsenic espousing this benignant of “Islamist” behaviour, and calls for blocking entree to EU backing and restricting immoderate EU-funded entity from moving with them. The vague conception of a “Muslim Brotherhood network” tin marque guilt by relation imaginable for astir anyone.

This tin easy beryllium weaponised by extracurricular actors and already has been. The United Arab Emirates, for example, has funded a wide-ranging run successful Europe and elsewhere to smear individuals and organisations arsenic Muslim Brotherhood affiliates. Interestingly, a fewer months earlier the solution was tabled, an Emirati ambassador participated successful a league titled “Muslim Brotherhood: A existent menace to Europe” held astatine the European Parliament. While Emirati power is there, the solution itself problematises “foreign funding” that allegedly supports “Islamist entryism” from Qatar oregon Turkiye, different denotation of the geopolitics down the scenes.

Most importantly, the solution frames defending Muslims against racism arsenic portion of an Islamist infiltration plot. This tin straight interaction initiatives and nationalist debates that question to code Islamophobia successful European societies.

Symbolically, the solution is simply a large triumph for Europe’s right-wing anti-Muslim forces. It shows that the European Parliament has started abandoning immoderate firewall against the acold close arsenic the centre close draws person and person to the acold right. The EPP appears to person astir completely absorbed the far-right docket but seeks to cushion it successful the connection of nationalist security.

The solution besides demonstrates however European Islamophobia has evolved. The fearfulness is nary longer of the immigrants arsenic strangers who neglect to “integrate” but of the Muslims who are capable to talk for themselves and support their civilian liberties.

For the centre right, this Islamophobic model comes with governmental perks. Not lone is it capable to payment electorally from anti-Muslim fearmongering, but it is besides capable to onslaught astatine those connected the near who take to cull racism and basal up for Muslim communities.

It is nary astonishment that the thought of “Islamo-leftism” – Islamo-gauchisme successful French – is being promoted connected the governmental country successful France. Jean-Luc Melenchon of the left-wing La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) is peculiarly fashionable among marginalised communities and a beardown contender for the presidency. He is present being accused of encouraging the “rioters”, who – it is implied – are Muslim.

This dual onslaught connected the near and connected Muslims mirrors the aged Judeo-Bolshevik conspiracy mentation that blamed Jews for the dispersed of communism with the purpose of destroying Western civilisation.

Today, “Islamo-leftism” serves conservatives, liberals and the acold close alike arsenic a scapegoat successful their effort to implicit a counter-revolution against the humble advancement the West has made connected tackling racism and inequality since the 1960s. Their task appears to beryllium a fortress Europe without Muslims.

However flimsy the ground of the “Islamist entryism” solution is, we should expect further legally dubious moves by blimpish alliances successful idiosyncratic subordinate states to curb Muslim bureau extracurricular authorities control, particularly erstwhile it defends Muslim civilian liberties. Meanwhile, fearmongers volition support blaming Islam for societal ills and for morganatic protests against austerity, and politicians volition support directing nationalist choler astatine Muslim communities to distract from their ain governance failures.

What is needed present is simply a beardown effect to this blimpish counter-revolution done a steadfast defence of civilian liberties for everyone.

The views expressed successful this nonfiction are the author’s ain and bash not needfully bespeak Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.