Category: In the News

Organizational setting

The MJLC is a charitable, non-profit association based in Austria. By strengthening Muslim-Jewish relations and advocating for minority rights in Europe, the MJLC contributes to the development of a pluralistic society that appreciates diverse identities and promotes the dignity of all European citizens in order to foster their empowerment and coexistence.

The MJLC was founded in 2018 by rabbis under the aegis of the Council of European Rabbis (CER) and by European imams, thanks to the facilitation of the International Dialogue Center (KAICIID). It was created in order to counteract misinformation and mistrust concerning the Muslim and Jewish communities in Europe- both among their members and in the rest of society- and to combat the rising levels of islamophobia and anti-Semitism which affect them. The MJLC offers a platform where leaders of both religious communities can consult and coordinate joint activities. These include spreading accurate information about their faiths and traditions and promoting their communities’ shared rights and interests in Europe. It is hoped that the example of Muslim and Jewish religious leaders meeting and working side by side will encourage trust, respect and solidarity among their followers and European society in general.

Role

The MJLC Coordinator is recruited to manage and ensure the smooth functioning of the MJLC Executive Board, which consists of two Chairs, two Vice Chairs, a Secretary and a Treasurer. As the executive of the MJLC, the Board must take decisions and implement the MJLC’s plan of action with the support of other MJLC organs and working groups. The Coordinator’s task is to lead administrative and programmatic processes withing the MJLC, organizing and implementing initiatives and running the internal processes and communications smoothly, fairly and inclusively in accordance with the MJLC statutes and Austrian law.

As the MJLC depends upon building trust and equal and active collaboration between Muslim and Jewish communities throughout Europe, the Coordinator’s task is to promote that trust and encourage that exchange. This entails maintenance of the highest ethical standards, diligent information-sharing and arrangement of consultation opportunities between Muslim and Jewish members.

The Coordinator will report to the MJLC Co-Chairs and provide relevant information to the MJLC Secretary and Treasurer. The Coordinator serves as the primary interface between the MJLC and the Austrian authorities as well as MJLC’s collaborating partners at working level. The Coordinator will work closely with the Focal Point at the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) to maintain an informed and close link between the two organizations.

Requirements:

• University degree (Bachelors degree or equivalent)
• At least five years of project management experience
• Skills/Experience in fundraising
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English
• Working competency in written and spoken German
• Excellent competency with Microsoft Office
• Demonstrated ability to find tactful compromises and observe highest standards of honesty, fairness and integrity
• Willingness to travel for MJLC activities
• Willingness to occasionally work during unusual hours to produce time-sensitive products

Of advantage:

• Experience of running an Austrian NGO or business
• Interest in and experience of dealing with religious actors and communities
• Awareness of Muslim/Jewish affairs in Europe
• Knowledge of financial software
• Experience of managing a team/staff
• Experience of policy-relevant communications and advocacy
• Knowledge of other European languages (e.g. French, Portuguese)
• Being based in Vienna

Position

• Full time (40 hours/week)
• Working from home (compensation €300/year) phone provided
• Minimum salary €46,000/ year brutto

To apply

Please send a CV and letter of application to office@mjlc-europe.org by 28^th February 2022. Only complete applications will be considered.

The MJLC is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.

Responsibilities in detail

The MJLC Coordinator:

1.  Programmatic Work

   1. Leads the planning, organization, implementation and evaluation of activities carried out by the MJLC according to the annual activity plan and strategy, ensuring a high quality of delivery and outputs;
   2. As part of 1.1, undertakes procurement of services, arrangement of logistics, guest management, liaising with partners and service providers, and assistance with conducting and recording activities as required;
   3. Develops and implements the annual work plan including creating detailed budgets, project methodology, risk management and evaluation of different activities;
   4. Drafts project documents (concept notes, agendas, lists of participants, evaluations, funding applications) for the consideration of the Board;
   5. Monitors and tracks project progress, success stories and lessons learned;
   6. Ensures that quality project reports are produced, submitted and circulated in a timely fashion.

2. Administration

   1. Plans, arranges and monitors a schedule of meetings for the Board, its Working Groups and the General Assembly, keeping detailed records of these meetings;
   2. Administers processes associated with governance and membership of the MJLC according to the statutes, including statutory register filings;
   3. Maintains a record of MJLC activities, including a database of contacts and quarterly/annual reports which comply with European and Austrian legal requirements;
   4. Creates, maintains and runs MJLC policies and systems for approval, data storage and procurement;
   5. Works closely with the MJLC’s selected legal services and requests, contributes to and circulates legal documents required for the MJLC’s work;
   6. Ensures that MJLC is compliant with data protection legislation.

3. External Relations and Communications

   1. In consultation with the Board, supports the MJLC in developing and nurturing relations with relevant stakeholders in Europe; including drafting content for agreements which clearly define areas of common interest, expected results, and the commitments and responsibilities of the various parties for approval of the MJLC Board.
   2. Creates and maintains a communication strategy and media policies, and keeps the MJLC website and social media accounts populated and updated on a regular basis;
   3. Drafts and publishes MJLC communications, including public statements, official correspondence, digital communications and publications, brochures and reports, as required;
   4. Produces success stories in accessible formats that highlight the outcomes and results to raise the profile of the MJLC and its work in Europe;
   5. Develops briefing packs, factsheets, achievement reports and similar materials to enhance MJLC’s profile, access and fund-raising efforts;
   6. Leads on identification, contracting and management of communications service providers;
   7. Fields media enquiries, by directing journalists to the authorized MJLC spokespersons, as nominated by the MJLC Chairs.

4. Finance and Grant management

   1. Working closely with the Treasurer, manages the budget and finances of the MJLC, monitoring spending against the annual budget and work plans;
   2. Sets up, runs and monitors financial processes for the MJLC, ensuring efficiency and accountability as well as compliance with Austrian law;
   3. Drafts the MJLC’s annual narrative and financial reports;
   4. Organizes the auditing of the MJLC finances on an annual basis;
   5. Supports design and delivery of grant-making initiatives;
   6. Maps resource mobilization opportunities beyond the contributions of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) and incrementally applies for and secures such funding.

5. Miscellaneous

   1. Upon agreement with both Co-Chairs, undertakes any other tasks related to programmes in Europe related to the MJLC mission.

We, the Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council – Europe, are deeply concerned about the ban of kosher and halal slaughter practices by the judgement of the Hellenic Council of the State Δ 1751/2021. The judgment annuls the Joint Ministerial Decision of 2017 which made an exemption for religious food preparation in the law that prevented slaughter without anaesthetic.

The Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council- Europe seeks to promote positive Muslim-Jewish relations and to advocate for the rights of Muslim and Jewish religious minorities in Europe. We maintain that there can be no fair and coherent freedom of religion in Europe, or true multiculturalism, if religious minorities cannot fully practise their faiths. The ban of kosher and halal preparation of meat for both Muslim and Jewish communities in Greece cuts deeply into their rights and sharply contradicts messages from European governments that they are committed to a future for Muslims and Jews as equal citizens and residents in Europe. This judgement prevents Muslims and Jews living freely in Greece and at the same time lawfully observing some of the most ancient and central traditions of their faiths, to which animal welfare happens to be crucial. Such religious practices have a fundamental place in the spiritual and cultural identity and daily life of Muslims and Jews in Europe, perhaps more so than is the case for the majority of Europeans. Thus a change in the law such as judgement 1751/2021 is not just an inconvenience placed upon one segment of the Greek population; this judgement prevents Muslims and Jews in Greece from being equal and respected members of Greek society.

The MJLC calls upon Greek authorities to work closely with the Muslim and Jewish authorities in their country to review the legislation and its effects upon the rights of religious minorities in Greece to find a solution which is acceptable to all parties. We urge Greek lawmakers to include representatives of religious communities in decision-making which will affect their right to practice their faiths freely, to ensure that it is sufficiently protected. And we call upon the Greek government to feel the weight of its responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of all Greeks and those in Greece for the sake of ensuring a diverse yet peaceful, cohesive and thriving society.

The Executive Board of the European Muslim Jewish Leadership Council today issued a statement condemning the recently revealed longstanding pattern of anti-Semitic rhetoric conducted by an Imam in Norway.

“As a body that was founded by European Rabbis and Imams, in response to a rising tide of intolerance in Europe, including growing Islamophobia and Antisemitism, the  MJLC is appalled by the revelations of an ongoing pattern of hateful statements against followers of the Jewish faith by Noor Ahmad Noor in Norway.

We are additionally dismayed that the comments that have been uncovered, some purportedly including incitements to violence against Jews, were issued by someone who claims to represent the movement for enhancing interreligious understanding and promoting the rights of people of different faiths to live without fear of harassment or violence.   These expressions are wholly contradictory to the values that define us as Europeans and as people of faith.

Jewish communities are keenly aware of the dangerous link between hate speech and real-world violence, and Europe’s Jewish and Muslim communities are united in rejecting this antisemitism in the strongest terms.  We commend the Norwegian authorities for launching an investigation into these remarks and are hopeful that the country’s justice system can ensure accountability and prevent such inflammatory utterances in the future.”

At a time when tensions among religions and cultures are simmering all over the globe, from the fight for racial equity that escalated so dramatically in 2020 in the US, with the murder of George Floyd, to tensions in the Middle East, and the escalating border conflict in the State of Israel in May 2021.  It is easy to come to the belief that harmony among people of different religions, or cultural identities, is a farfetched utopia.  

Yet a look at Portugal, a country renowned for discovery and exploration, shows what can happen when a society sees ‘the Other’ not seen as a threat to be repelled, but rather as a welcome variation on the common themes that unite our shared humanity. 

Rabbi Ruben Suiza leads Lisbon’s Jewish community, and Sheikh David Munir is Imam of the Central Mosque of Lisbon. The two leaders shared their perspectives on why Portugal has been so successful in integrating different religious and cultural identities and what leaders of other European states can learn from the country’s pluralistic success. 

“Portugal certainly has a tremendous tolerance. In fact, the country welcomes the idea of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and every other religion in the world to live in peace. It is actually the mandate of the Portuguese government that people of different faiths be granted freedom to express their religion without any hindrance,” says Rabbi Suiza.

Imam Munir agrees that Portuguese policymakers are consultative and inclusive when it comes to minority religions. The military engages him as a cultural expert, before they go on missions to Muslim majority countries, and local leaders, recognizing rising anti-Islamic sentiment across Europe, are quick to reach out to offer support to Portugal’s Muslim community. Even the Portuguese President, H.E. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is seen regularly at the Lisbon mosque. In fact, in Ramaan 2021, he broke a fast with the Muslim community, an act by a leading figure in national politics, which would be unheard of in many parts of Europe today.

But the interfaith harmony of Muslims and Jews in Portugal, seemingly easily won in a country where these minority groups make up less than 1% of the population, can quickly be lost. Look at the plight of Muslims in other parts of Europe, says Sheikh Munir.  From what he terms “religious ghettos” predominantly populated by Muslim migrants, who feel they have been excluded by their host societies.  The Imam is also critical of the propensity for some migrant-led institutions in part of Europe, to create parallel societies within their host countries. He cites an example of a conference on the future of Muslims in Europe that was held in Germany, but conducted in Turkish. Such a move, says Imam Munir, is symbolic of some Muslims excluding themselves, rather than being excluded, from the societal mainstream.

A mainstream into which Portugal has managed to integrate both Muslims an Jews. “In Portugal, the Jewish community records several educational programs that are regularly broadcast on the national television channel, to educate the Portuguese public about Judaism and celebrations of the Jewish faith,”  says Rabbi Suiza.

Indeed, Portugal is a vibrant model for religious inclusion in action.   “Also, government bodies often call on me to give them a background of cultural and faith practices so that when they go to Muslim majority countries, they know how to behave in a way that shows respect to the local culture,” added the Imam.

The Rabbi and the Imam agree that education must be the fulcrum of successful religious pluralism in European society. This education needs to be conducted along three distinct prongs.  The first being to tackle what Imam Munir calls “radical Islam”, fostered by predatory religious leaders who exploit the sense of disenfranchisement among, predominantly young, Muslim migrants. “The religious ghettos, like the ones you see now in Germany, France and England, were created by socio-economic disparity. Some religious leaders take advantage of this and say: ‘Come to my mosque. The Europeans don’t care for us (Muslims). They don’t consider us human. That’s why they don’t help us.’ ”  This messaging, which Imam Munir calls brainwashing, is particularly attractive to first-generation Muslim citizens of European countries, whose parents were born outside the EU, and who are now seeking a purpose, as well as a community in which to belong. 

To counter this, the Imam calls for ongoing support for incoming Muslim migrants to the EU – not just at the port of entry. And also a more robust implementation of integration policies across Europe. “You have to be open in practice, not just in word.  In some European countries, they talk about integration, but it is like if you invite me to your house, and when I arrive, you say Come in, but you don’t open the door.  What should I do then? Should I jump through the window?” asks the Imam.

Creating dedicated spaces where followers of diverse religions feel welcome to practice their faiths, is the second prong, affirms Rabbi Suiza. Citing the example of Mincha, an afternoon prayer that lasts around 15 minutes, and which Jews need to perform at a set time, before sunset, which could be while at work, or out in public spaces. “If the government, or some other authority, doesn’t understand that I need to perform this specific ritual at this specific time in this specific way, then misunderstandings occur.  That is why we need religious education.”

“Once people understand the religious significance of Muslim and Jewish rituals, they will not feel like any of it is an imposition on them,” says the Rabbi. “On the contrary, they will respect it much more because they know the motivation behind it. So if they see a Jew wearing a kippah (a skullcap worn by Orthodox Jewish men), we need to help them understand that we cover our heads because there is a God who is constantly watching us. And if they see a Muslim woman who covers herself to protect her modesty, and maintain the dignity of her body, a body that only her husband can look at, then they won’t be offended by this type of dress,” he adds.

Failure by leaders of minority religions to educate their communities could result in “tremendous anguish to Jewish and Muslim people”, asserts Rabbi Suiza, citing his concerns over growing movements in countries like Belgium, Iceland and the UK to outlaw sacred practices like male circumcision and the ritual slaughter of animals. “We’re not telling someone who’s not commanded to have a circumcision. We’re not saying to anyone who’s not commanded that you must eat kosher or halal meat. We say: Give us the freedom to be able to implement our religious practices for ourselves. We’re not imposing them on you,” says the Rabbi.

The third prong is the need to reframe “the Other”. Since September 11, says Imam Munir, across much of the West, Islam has been perceived through the lens of terrorism.   He sees this need for reframing as a collaborative effort to be undertaken jointly between European governments, and Muslims themselves. Clearly there is a need to find the balance between maintaining national security and respecting a Believer’s rights to act in accordance with the tenets of their faith.   Much of this comes down to variations in Muslim culture.  “You can’t behave like a European Muslim in an Islamic country, or like an Islamic Muslim in a European country”, says Imam Munir. “Also, Islam teaches that love of country is part of your faith. So when young Muslim migrants in Europe reject their European identities, it is actually a rejection of Islamic teachings.”

Europe’s quest for pluralistic harmony will be achieved by striking the right balance between being inclusive of different cultures and beliefs, and upholding the principles of European society. “There should be a desire on the part of those who don’t understand Islam or Judaism to gain the knowledge and understanding required in order for them to come to terms with the realities of what these faith traditions are, and what they aren’t. We do not wish to create antagonistic relationships within European society. We simply want to be able to implement our religious requirements,” says Rabbi Suiza.

“All Muslims in Europe should integrate into European society.  And we must open the mosques, across Europe, to everyone,” rallies Imam Munir.  “Let’s show them who we are.  Let’s create the conditions where people can come to us. Because when they do that, they see that we are just like them. And they are like us.”

As Portugal has demonstrated, true interfaith harmony can only come from understanding one another’s motivations, and protecting the collective space for people to express themselves, whatever their religious background.

By Iris Jumbe

After the Council of Europe and many other institutions and mainstream media criticised the drawing of the “Islamic Map”,  the initiative for the Islam Map in Austria repeats the errors of the past, such as the Minaret ban in Switzerland, the ban against Halal slaughter and the attempt to ban circumcision in other countries. Instead of fighting all extremist tendencies based on radical interpretation of religion, the respective governments have attacked broadside Islam as a religion.

While claiming to seek to analyze so-called ‘good performance’ and ‘dangerous tendencies’ of Muslim organizations, the fact that this crude map includes interfaith organizations like the MJLC, shows a lack of understanding of the Council’s work, and calls into question the credibility of the entire effort.

At a time when research confirms that anti-Muslim sentiment in Austria, and across Western Europe, is on the rise, this map goes a step further by stigmatizing all Muslims living in Austria as a potential security threat, which can further fuel widespread discrimination against followers of Islam.

The vaguely defined concept of ‘political Islam’ cannot justify imposing such discriminatory measures, clearly targeted at a single minority group. We strongly urge the Austrian government to uphold its obligations to respect the rights to freedom of association and expression.

It’s been 395 days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Prior to March 2020, Rabbi Avichai Apel (a member of the Executive Board of the Germany’s Orthodox Rabbi Conference), had likely not known that running a YouTube tutorial on how to make matzah (a flat, unleavened bread that is the only type of “bread” Jews may eat during Passover) would become a vital digital lifeline that Germany’s Jewish communities would grab onto during a crisis. In the UK, Imam Mohammad Ismail, a British scholar and Muslim Chaplain at the University of Sheffield, also noticed the rise of the internet as an irreplaceable congregational tool. Although, worryingly, to the exclusion of an older generation lacking the same level of comfort in living out their social and spiritual lives online.

The rise of virtual religious practice is perhaps one of the most stark observations by the two faith leaders, who recently shared with the MJLC observations of how, a year on from its onset, COVID has affected religious observance.

Communities struggle with isolation and uncertainty…

Yet, beyond the how of how to continue to follow faith traditions during a pandemic, a conundrum largely resolved by Zoom and WhatsApp, emerged the question of why? According to Rabbi Apel, for his community in Germany, COVID introduced uncertainty to religious communities who rely on faith as a sure predictor of outcomes. Questions of where the virus had come from, how it would be treated, and when the pandemic would be over, soon gave way to broader existential musings. Is COVID a punishment from God? How have we become a society that joins digital communities of virtual strangers living continents away, without even knowing the name of our neighbors next door? What is the point of being part of a community, if people can’t gather together?

Rabbi Apel cites a recent conversation with a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor, who described the horror of pandemic-imposed isolation: “In Auschwitz, we had nothing, but at least we were together,” she recalls. “Now we have everything, but we are alone. And that is too much.”

 

In the 14 months since the onset of COVID, Imam Ismail has seen innovation as just one part of the solution to religious communities forced into separation but yearning to be united in practicing the rituals of their faith. “It’s not just about innovation in the sense of technology, but innovation in the sense of how we recreate the way we pray – so it aligns with our beliefs,” he says. When the mosques reopened in June 2020, a clear generational divide was evident. Yes, we want to pray, said some of the younger generation. But no, we don’t wish to do it with masks on. Social distancing guidelines determined that worshippers stay 2m from one another in houses of worship. The Imam noticed that these manmade guidelines were perceived, by a few, as secondary to the holy teachings of how to properly perform the salat (the Muslim prayer ritual that is done first standing and later kneeling on the ground).

For the Imam, this tension between perfect ritual practice and the need to adhere to prescribed COVID protocols was key to resolve. He did so by highlighting Islamic doctrine. “Protecting the community, together, that is what is most important, as a Muslim,” said the Imam. Rabbi Apel echoes this sentiment. “Pikuach nefesh (the concept that saving a human life is more important than any commandment) is the principle most closely followed by the Jewish community during lockdowns,” he says.

COVID has caused a “spiritual emergency”…

Rabbi Apel believes that the pandemic has also wrought an invisible toll on the souls of religious communities. “During COVID we have seen two kinds of emergencies: A physical emergency, and also a spiritual emergency,” he says. “Religion is how you deal with the spiritual emergency. When you close synagogues, at a time when people need them most, you might say you are protecting their physical health, but you’re killing them from the spiritual side.”

The question of whether governments have provided adequate support to religious communities during COVID draws mixed responses. In Sheffield, Imam Ismail has seen mourning rituals closely monitored, and even interrupted, by police eager to impose social distancing restrictions at burial sites. At the same time, in Germany, at the outset of the pandemic the Jewish community held discussions about how best to resist potential proposals from the government to cremate, rather than bury, those who had died from COVID, to prevent spreading the virus to mourners. Thankfully, the proposals never materialized.

With the pandemic intensifying economic inequities, the scapegoating of religious and ethinic minorities became a familiar ‘cure’ for society’s ills, with spikes in antisemitism and Islamophobia being marked across the globe. According to the International Dialogue Centre, KAICIID, researchers warned of an increase in anti-Semitic sentiment prompted by COVID-19 conspiracy theories. In the United Kingdom, India and Sri Lanka, online vitriol targeted Muslim communities, and across the globe. The UN also documented numerous false allegations that migrants and refugees were sources of the virus.

Yet Rabbi Apel and Imam Ismail both remain convinced that shared values will triumph over resistance to difference. “I am really proud that this pandemic has shown that there is so much more that brings us together. Around here, people call them British values, but I call them common values. Values that connect us as people,” says the Imam. The Rabbi draws tremendous encouragement for how the German Jewish community has rallied to support other communities in need around Europe. More than that, local Jews are sustaining one another through micro donations – many more people are giving, even if the value of individual donations has fallen – and through acts of service, like going shopping for one another, or preparing meals for those who cannot do so for themselves.

The way forward…

Imam Ismail describes the post-pandemic UK he wishes to see. One that tackles inequity with even more vigor. He is dismayed at what he sees as permissive political maneuvering that is becoming pervasive across Europe, and rhetoric that relies on demonizing difference. He is convinced that this tactic can be overcome through interfaith, and intercultural initiatives, like the MJLC. “That’s why I am working with Jewish colleagues, with Christian colleagues, and others, so that we can defeat this monster of racism”, says the Imam. The message of the need for a collaborative spirit of goodwill is one that the Imam repeats to his followers in the mosque, on his social media, and as a guest on various BBC programming outputs.

For Rabbi Apel, he is hopeful that the spike in virtual engagement with Jewish rituals is a trend that sustains, and even grows. Yet even his optimism is tempered with a grave concern over the social cost of COVID – especially among young adults, who have seen their efforts to build lifelong connections abruptly halted. “What about young people who were thinking about building a family (at the start of 2020)? They have lost, over this last year, the possibility to get to know one another. There are surely those who would have otherwise have gotten married during this time. I think this will be a huge loss for our community, and only in 10 or 15 years will the true cost of this side of the pandemic be known.”

Reinforcing the importance of connection, the Rabbi remains hopeful that the same sense of isolation that so traumatized his wife’s grandmother, will not scar his 5-year old son, who now struggles to understand the definition of friendship, and of community, in a time when gatherings and real-life connection are, paradoxically, considered antisocial.

We don’t yet know how effective the vaccine rollout will be in healing the psycho-social and economic scarring of the past 14 months. No matter how the future unfolds, for the Rabbi and the Imam, this crisis has reinforced the importance of continuing to reinforce the bonds of faith, and provide comfort to the communities that rely on them.

By Iris Jumbe

By Iris Jumbe

Switzerland held three referenda in March 2021: one was a vote on whether to ban full facial coverings, one on whether to establish a Federal Commission to oversee issuance of a nationwide electronic ID to residents, and a third in opposition to a 2018 European Free Trade Association concluded with Indonesia. Yet it is only the first referendum – in favor of a so-called “Burqa ban” – which has caused waves across Europe and well beyond.  By a margin of 51.2% to 48.8%, the Swiss people sent a message considered by many to be the latest chapter in the European tale of scapegoating Muslims for the continent’s challenges.

Anna Stamou (a Greek woman who began wearing a headscarf after converting to Islam) and Rabbi Lody van de Kamp (Netherlands) are both members of the European Muslim Jewish Leadership Council (MJLC). They share the perspective that the so-called burqa ban is the latest signal from Europe that religious communities are free to believe what they want, but the freedom to act in accordance with those beliefs is not so freely given. Citing as examples struggles to build publicly funded mosques, or introduce Islamic school curricula in Greece, or the near two-dozen countries that have banned ritual animal slaughter across Europe, Stamou and van de Kamp believe that there is a growing body of evidence that the gap is widening between guarantees of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, stated in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the practice of religious freedom across Europe.

Two tiers of Muslim citizens are emerging, says Stamou: those who are happy to accept crumbs of tolerance from policymakers and those who demand true equity in society. In Greece, Stamou says, “They [the Greek government] rely on the compliance of an older Muslim generation, that says, I will take whatever you give me.  But if we want to work for equal society, we [Muslims] have to be proud of ourselves, to be proud to practice our religion.  We are not asking for luxury, we are asking for dignity.  And equality.”

Rabbi Lody agrees that there are indeed separate tracks of identity emerging within an increasingly secular Europe. As the influence of the Church and religion has subsided, so the lines of identity have blurred. What does it mean to be a citizen of Europe and how does national identity reconcile itself with religion?  “When an immigrant lands at the airport in Amsterdam, it doesn’t work to give him [or her] a blonde wig and blue eyes, and say: Now you’re Dutch,” says the Rabbi.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many Muslim women wear a burqa in Europe, the 2011 burqa ban in France was said to affect 0.04% of the French Muslim population, and less than 0.003% of the general population of France.  A decade later, it is likely that the percentages remain similarly negligible in Switzerland, and across Europe.

But, Stamou and van de Kamp agree, that is how oppression starts. What begins as voters agreeing to a “harmless” concession that affects “just a handful” of people, can gradually build into greater commitment to even more oppressive outcomes.  “The problem is that if we allow this, the next [suppression of our religious expression] will come,” says Stamou.  For the Rabbi, the attempt to frame the proposed ban in Switzerland as a security measure against anarchic protesters is disingenuous.  “It clearly hits the Muslim community,” he says.

The danger of measures like a face covering ban that disproportionately affects one community is the effect it will have on a young generation already so disillusioned by institutions like government and media, says Stamou.

Rabbi Lody has always held the belief that shining a spotlight on injustice is the best way to counter it. Stamou agrees.  Her advice to Muslim women across Europe who are impacted by bans on face coverings: “Rethink and regroup. Keep the Islamic principles without betraying what you believe in.”  She sees the struggle for religious freedom as one that cannot be fought quietly, or fought alone.  “We have to make some waves. And be active. But we cannot do it alone. It cannot be just Muslims that demonstrate against this injustice. We need solidarity.”