Whenever a terror attack hits a European city, Arab diaspora find themselves shouldering the heavy burden of stigmatization. The report collects a number of individual cases in both France and Belgium where Arab immigrants struggle to regain the trust of their communities and convince them that they themselves are subjected to the same threats. The first part of the report focuses on France’s controversial attitude towards Arab immigrants following terror attacks. Cases include an airport worker of an Arab descent who has been put under the security radar for months and who has been mistakenly accused of plotting to blow up the airport. French human rights advocates have been calling the government to strike a balance between fighting against terrorism and respecting religious freedoms. In Belgium, media has been accused of not making any efforts to contain xenophobia.
This story is developed wit OPEN Media Hub support by Faouzi Bendjama, bearer of the Migration Media Award, First Place in Radio Category (Arabic)
Author: Faouzi Bendjama
Media: BBC Arabic
Date of publication: August 28, 2017
Link to original publication (in Arabic)
