The First International Youth Forum Against Islamophobia will take place this weekend in Rome.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – September 25, 2021 – Forums and Conferences
The online forum, which was organized as part of the Youth Empowerment Support Project, aims to raise awareness about Islamophobia in order to combat it effectively.
“Freedom to believe, to think, and to be free” is the title of the event, which is co-funded by the European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme.
Organizers said the forum “aims to be a space and opportunity for young people to discuss and think concretely about how to build a more inclusive and diverse society, free of stereotypes and discrimination, through discussions, workshops and exchange of experiences.” A press conference was attended.
They added that the goal is to “create new links between communities in Europe and transfer knowledge” to help Italian and European youth – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – to provide information and guidance on the rights of religious minorities.
At the end of the forum, a youth manifesto against Islamophobia will be approved. The event will include expert committees with representatives of Islamic organizations, civil society, Italian and European institutions.
Triantavilos Lucaris, director of the European Network Against Racism, said Muslim women, “especially if they wear religious symbols, are victims of multiple discrimination – on the basis of gender, religion, and origin – which leads to verbal aggression in public places, and hate speech on social media.” and social exclusion with difficulties in accessing the labor market and training courses.”
Islam is the second-largest religion in Italy with about 2.5 million believers, more than a million of whom hold Italian citizenship.
According to a study recently published by ENAR, 65 percent of Italian Muslims said they had experienced violence, prejudice, or discrimination.
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Source: Ukrgate
