Description
This paper explores how experiences of Islamophobia have changed in recent years with the rise of counter-extremism programmes and policies. It suggests that young Muslims in North-Western Europe are experiencing high levels of Islamophobia that differ from those experienced by the previous generation at the start of the Long War on Terror. Most notably, as Countering Violent Extremism policies have become more covert, so too have the experiences of Islamophobia. The research is drawn from 419 interviews, many with young Muslims who have experienced instances of Islamophobia in education, employment, healthcare and other sectors. A result of the European Commission-funded DRIVE project, this paper finds that Islamophobia is experienced amongst young European Muslims differently according to national, local and demographic contexts, but that core trends remain – most notably, a fear of securitisation from Countering Violent Extremism programmes, and a resultant ‘masking’ of their Islamic identity to avoid further securitisation. Young Muslims also exhibit poorer mental health than majority populations and are more likely to consider their generation worse off than their parents. These findings are important in understanding current and changing trends in Islamophobia in North-Western Europe, and the impact of contemporary Countering Violent Extremism.
