The Federation of Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO) has announced that it has organized an International Study Session titled “Together Against Islamophobia – Acting for Human Rights” that was held in the Youth Center of the Council of Europe in Budapest. According to the announcement:
May 5, 2015 Islamophobia is a social phenomenon that is on the rise in Europe today and it is increasing on a daily basis. According to EU-wide research, 1 in 3 Muslims in Europe have experienced discrimination at least once over the last year. Especially dramatic is in France, where a mosque is attacked or damaged every 3 weeks. A Muslim is attacked every 3 days – 85% of Islamophobic acts are against Muslim women. Similar situation can be recognized in Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands…The consequences connected to Islamophobia in Europe affect European Muslim communities, their social integration, but also psychological and socio-economic well-being. For FEMYSO, these issues were reason big enough to organize an international Study Session “Together Against Islamophobia – Acting for Human Rights”.
The Study Session is taking place in the Youth Center of the Council of Europe in Budapest. It has gathered around 40 young people from more than 20 countries in the world and the general aim of the Study Session is to raise awareness on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Discrimination as a Human Rights Violation. The participants will make concrete proposals for actions and initiatives to be implemented, to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to contribute towards Human rights advocacy strategies and good practices. Very important to emphasize is the fact that the Study Session will empower young “ambassadors” to take a stand against Islamophobia.
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The GMBDW reported in August 2014 that the FEMYSO was attending the summer school organized by the US-based International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a part of the US Muslim Brotherhood.
A NEFA Foundation report authored by the GMBDW editor identifies the Federation of Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO) as the youth/student arm of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Over the years, FEMYSO has developed a relationship with both the Council of Europe and the European Commission where it has been invited since 2003 to attend meetings of the Group of Policy Advisers (GOPA). One of the important leaders of FEMYSO over the years has been Ibrahim El-Zayat, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany. Michael Privot, a Belgian convert and former youth leader in FIOE who in 2008 had openly acknowledged being part of the Muslim Brotherhood, has written in his blog that he has “put an end to all my links and ties with the European Muslim Brotherhood.” The GMBDW has reported that newly elected members of the organizations Executive Committee include relatives of important Global Muslim Brotherhood leaders such as the daughter of Tunisian Muslim Brotherhood leader Rachid Ghannouchi.
The Council of Europe (COE) is an international organization promoting co-operation between European countries in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation. It was founded in 1949 and has 47 member states with 820 million citizens. The organization is an independent body, and is not controlled by the European Union, which is a separate organization it is sometimes confused with. Unlike European Union and Eurasian Economic Union, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws.