Efforts to Counter Gulf Fugitives in Europe Need of the Hour
-
Roshan Amiri - . January 28, 2025
- . Update: January 28, 2025 5:21 pm
There has been an unprecedented increase in anti-Islam incidents in Europe. There were a record 1,926 anti-Muslim incidents registered in Germany in 2024, according to the CLAIM network of NGOs monitoring Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. This was a 114% rise in 2023, with incidents rising after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel from Gaza.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi-born man, was arrested in connection with the attack at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg in December 2024. The attack resulted in the killing of five people, including a nine-year-old boy and four women, and more than 200 injuries, many in critical condition, as per reports.
While the motive behind the Magdeburg attack remains unclear after investigation, protests took place across the region, calling for stricter controls on illegal immigration and demanding a ban on the construction of homes for new asylum seekers.
As per reports, the perpetrator of the attack is considered one of the Gulf fugitives, with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser saying it was “clear to see” the suspect held “Islamophobic” views.
Holger Münch of the federal criminal police told German media that “He has anti-Islamic views; of course he’s also been involved with extreme-right platforms and given interviews.”
As Gulf fugitives in Europe continue to rise, they are unprecedentedly exploiting the freedoms they receive in countries like Germany to operate freely. Rights groups and citizens have raised concerns about the possibility of such anti-Islamophobic incidents perpetrated by fugitives from Gulf countries seeking asylum in European countries.
“The streets, buses or mosques are no longer safe places for people who are Muslim or perceived as such,” said Rima Hanano, project director at CLAIM, as per Reuters. “Anti-Muslim racism was never as socially acceptable as today and it comes from the middle of society.”
There is an urgent need for the extradition of fugitives like Habiba Al-Hinai, to their home countries to facilitate their rehabilitation, maintain their rights and prevent them from joining terrorist groups and engaging in extremist activities.
Rights groups and other concerned institutions have called on authorities to pay necessary attention to the rising threat on Muslims in European nations.
“Despite the fact … that we have been warning about this situation for years, it is still barely acknowledged,” Hanano added. “What we really need is the political will to truly fight anti-Muslim racism.”
