ISLAMABAD: On the International Day to Combat Islamophobia — observed annually on March 15 to raise awareness about prejudice, exclusion, and attacks against Muslims worldwide — new data from India and other countries indicates a growing trend of anti-Muslim hostility, discrimination, and hatred.
India stands out for the scale of documented hate speech incidents in the past year alone, with fresh data pointing to a widening pattern of anti-Muslim hostility, discrimination, and hate.
A 2025 report by India Hate Lab documented 1,318 hate speech events targeting religious minorities -- a majority of them Muslims -- across 21 states, one union territory, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, averaging roughly four incidents a day.
The report said this marked a 13% increase from 1,165 incidents in 2024 and a 97% increase from 668 incidents in 2023.
The UN High Commisioner Human Rights, Volker Türk, released a video statement, saying “We need to call out Muslim hatred wherever we find it.”
In the European Union, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found in 2024 that 47% of Muslims in 13 member states had experienced racial discrimination in the previous five years, up from 39% in 2016.
It also found that 35% reported discrimination in the previous 12 months, compared with 25% in 2016. The highest five-year rates were recorded in Austria, Germany, and Finland.
According to the Agency, in Germany, a 2025 summary based on official police data said 1,848 Islamophobic offenses were recorded in 2024, along with 79 attacks on mosques.
In 2024, Statistics Canada reported a 94% increase in police-reported hate crimes against Muslims in the previous year, a number which experts agree does not capture the full extent of hate due to underreporting.
In England and Wales, official Home Office figures recorded 4,478 anti-Muslim religious hate crimes in the year ending March 2025, accounting for 45% of all religious hate crimes where the targeted religion was known.
Taken together, the figures suggest that Islamophobia is not confined to one country or one region, and sustained efforts are needed to promote mutual respect among communities for peaceful coexistence.
The United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15, 2022, after Pakistan introduced a resolution on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to raise awareness and fight anti-Muslim hatred worldwide.
