A recent study revealed that Muslims in Amsterdam are regularly discriminated against and feel that Islamophobia is becoming increasingly normalized in society.
Participants in the study gave several examples of the manifestations of discrimination against Muslims in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, such as difficulties finding work because of their religion, the spread of hate speech on social media, as well as negative nicknames for women who wear hijab.
Many of the participants did not hide that their dealing with the phenomenon of fear of Islam, known as Islamophobia, as a normal matter, has become a major problem in their lives. The researchers said that they chose at a certain stage in their lives to “learn to live with it.” According to “UK in Arabic” website.
It is worth noting that children and adolescents in schools face anti-islamic statements and negative reactions from students and teachers.
Almost all participants said they had a hard time finding an internship, while their white colleagues were able to do so.
This continues to be the case in the work sector, where study participants reported being rejected because of their surnames and background.
They also get asked “completely irrelevant questions” in job interviews, such as their feelings about sexual relations, terrorism, homosexuality, or their allegiance to the Netherlands. If they complain, they will get accused of having no sense of humor or of exploiting the pretext of racism.
For their part, women who wear the hijab say that they are constantly being called names. Some have reported being spat on or assaulted.
According to the researchers, participants believe that the spread of Islamophobia is being fueled by the growing influence of far-right politics.
The Muslim community also plays a role in this, with some participants saying that hard-line preachers are harming the Muslim community by exaggerating the differences between secular and Muslim Amsterdam.
The researchers said the Amsterdam municipality needs to do more to penalize employers and recruitment agencies for discrimination.
