Reports | 25 05 2020
Despite obtaining his residency permit, and having all necessary documents in hand, Syrian journalist Nabil Shoufan still failed to rent a house. The latest landlord he spoke to refused to rent him on the grounds that he was a Muslim. Shoufan says that racists do not constitute a minority in France, and that the “city of light” is losing its radiance, day by day.
Haneen Ballan is a student at the Media Faculty at the University of Amsterdam. Born in the Netherlands to Syrian parents, she considers the Netherlands her homeland. Still, she finds among her Dutch compatriots those who object to this fact. The latest objection came from her university colleague who demanded that the refugees return to Syria then, in turn, said to Haneen: “Why do not you return, too?”
According to the Dutch "De Hond" Foundation, the extremist ultra-right Freedom Party won first place in the polls, with party leader Geert Wilders defeating the Prime Minister therein as well. It is noteworthy that a large proportion of academics and highly educated elites also voted in favor of this militant party and its leader.
In Germany, a candidate for the office of mayor of Cologne was stabbed by a radical on the grounds of her positive attitude towards the refugees.
On the other hand, four refugee camps in Sweden were set aflame; before a masked person took up a sword attacking a school and assailing the students, killing one and injuring three in the process.
While the refugees themselves cannot be held responsible for the existence the phenomenon of racism in Europe; they do, however, contribute to its propagation, says Syrian lawyer and human rights activist Fa’eq Huweijeh in this week’s bil-Mizan.
He additionally indicates that, despite the fact that the incident befalling the candidate for the mayoralty of Cologne in Germany is indeed a real tragedy—it should equally be noted that she did successfully win these elections. This, to him, actually confirms that the anti-racism wave is even more mature and large than the racist trend.
This week, bil-Mizan discusses the phenomenon of the increasing number of refugees, and the spread of racism in Europe.
To listen to the full episode, kindly follow the link:
* Bil-Mizan is a joint program between the Ma’kum channel of Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Radio Rozana, in cooperation with the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability.