22 August marks the International Day Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, established by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 73/296, adopted on 28 May 2019.
On this occasion, Alkarama once again expresses its concern over the sharp increase, in different parts of the world, in acts of violence and discrimination targeting people on the basis of their religion or beliefs. It particularly condemns the repressive policies and persecution faced by Muslim minorities in many countries, amid growing Islamophobia and an increase in hate speech targeting Muslims, including from far-right movements.
In recent months, human rights organisations and bodies monitoring the situation of Muslims worldwide have reported an increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes, systemic discrimination and attacks on mosques, largely fuelled by far-right political rhetoric, particularly online.
In London, for example, data from the monitoring service TellMAMA recorded 1,031 reports of anti-Muslim hate incidents during the first half of 2026 alone, exceeding the total number recorded throughout 2023. In the United Kingdom, 27 attacks targeting 25 mosques were recorded over a three-month period. In Germany, more than 4,000 anti-Muslim incidents were documented in 2025. In France, anti-Muslim incidents increased by 88% in 2025.
In the United States, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) received 8,683 reports of incidents targeting Muslims in 2025. Muslims face not only harassment and discrimination in the workplace, as well as attacks against community institutions and mosques, such as the attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego in May 2026, which left three people dead, but also manifestations of hatred in higher education institutions, where Muslim students have reported intimidation and interference with their ability to practise their religion.
Faced with growing challenges to peaceful coexistence around the world, Alkarama reaffirms its commitment to combating all forms of discrimination and violence and to working towards a more just world that respects the dignity of every human being, regardless of their religion or beliefs.
Alkarama also expresses its full solidarity with victims of all forms of violence based on religion or belief and calls on governments to fulfil their responsibilities by protecting all religious communities without discrimination, upholding the rule of law and equal opportunities, and adopting and swiftly implementing legislation to combat hate crimes and violence based on religion. It also calls on them to prosecute the perpetrators and instigators of such acts, repeal any law or practice that discriminates against any religious or ethnic group, and pursue sustained political and cultural efforts to combat hate speech, extremism and racism, while promoting shared human values through education, the media and cultural institutions.