Most recent articles by Farid Hafez
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The axis of the rightEuropeʹs new isolationist front
Europe is shifting to the right. Border security and isolation increasingly dominate the migration policies of the European Union. At a national level, right-wing parties are peddling a symbolic identity policy to distract from cuts that undermine the very fabric of society, says political scientist Farid Hafez
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Controversial manifesto against "new anti-Semitism" in FranceCutting Suras to suit
In France, the publication of a manifesto that calls among other things for the removal of certain verses from the Koran and seeks to pave the way for state intervention in religious matters has triggered heated debate. Farid Hafez has the details
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Germanyʹs new Homeland ministerNo to religious parity
By stating that Islam is not part of Germany, newly appointed Homeland Minister Horst Seehofer is not only polarising the population. At the same time, he is cementing the fundamentally unequal treatment of religious communities in Germany. Commentary by Farid Hafez
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Czech President Milos Zeman′s re-electionEurope's fearmonger
The Czech Republic has once again elected Milos Zeman as president, a leader who applauds Donald Trump's ban on Muslims entering the USA and who sees himself as a prophet warning against immigration and an imagined Islamic threat. By Farid Hafez
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Austria's new programme for governmentEn route to a restrictive policy on Islam?
This week, Austria's new centre-right and right-wing coalition published its programme for government. This programme does not view Muslims through the lens of human rights and freedom of religion as people to be protected and people who are particularly affected by racism. Instead, they are very obviously cast in the role of a potential threat, writes Farid Hafez
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Muslims in AustriaOctober elections: Beware of Islamophobes
Austria′s election campaign has to date been characterised by cheap propaganda and Islamophobia. Now, just four weeks before people go to the polls, Sebastian Kurz, leader of the conservative OVP, has conceded that coalition with the right-wing FPO is an option. By Farid Hafez
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Europe and the USAWhen anti-Semitism and Islamophobia join hands: The racist vortex
The campaign against George Soros is fuelling a dangerous symbiosis between anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, argues political scientist Farid Hafez
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Austria′s president and the Islamophobia debateThe courage of one man
By criticising the fear of Islam that is rife in Austria, the country's new president, Alexander Van der Bellen, is sending out an important signal of opposition to both the racism that has become socially acceptable once again in Europe and the stigmatisation of Muslims. By Farid Hafez
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The Islam debateThe dual consciousness of Muslims
Muslims today can no longer think, or ultimately exist, outside the widespread lore about Islam, which links them to discussions about terror, violence and the separation of religion and society. They can never be free of the neverending stream of projections about Islam. An essay by Farid Hafez