Report of the Citizen Platform against Islamophobia: “Islamophobia in Spain 2016”

REPORT: “ISLAMOPHOBIA IN SPAIN 2016”

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In 2016, the Citizens’ Platform against Islamophobia has collected 573 incidents of Islamophobia, distributed in the following percentages: 14.14% acts against women and 4.01% against children, 12.57% incidents against mosques, 5.41% against refugees, 6.63% against non-Muslims (In this regard, Islamophobic Hate Speech against Pope Francis has even appeared).
The increase compared to incidents in 2015 is 106.12%.
HIGHLIGHTS IN 2016: Growing Islamophobic bias of political leaders of parties of different ideologies.
POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISLAMOPHOBIA.
In addition, the very active role of the extreme right and neo-Nazi groups, as can be seen in their threatening acts and their incessant campaigns, in the streets, in the media and on the Internet.
This year the HATE CRIME for Islamophobic motivations has increased its violence and aggressiveness.
There have been brutal attacks, which at their peak have resulted in the death of several Muslims.
Islamophobia against non-Muslims has even increased.
The ATTACKS ON MOSQUES are a trickle that is repeated from time to time in different parts of Spain and with very different sociologies.
This increase in hatred and violence has also occurred in GENDER ISLAMOPHOBIA with serious aggressions against Muslim women, even a pregnant woman was kicked in Barcelona.
A new form of violence has been born against Muslim women, who are being doubly attacked.
The proliferation of Islamophobic messages on the Internet, particularly on social networks, is growing considerably.
Through mobile phones and social networks, they carry out a constant campaign against Islam, Muslims and refugees focused on spreading fake news and asking the recipients of these messages, emails or whatsapp to forward them to their contacts, to create a chain of constant hatred.
Due to the increase in intensity and severity, this year we have produced a special section dedicated to Islamophobia on the Internet that is attached to this report.
CYBERHATE.
The increase in Islamophobic HATE SPEECH continues, mainly by politicians and media related to the extreme right or the theory of the Clash of Civilizations.
On occasion, populist and Islamophobic discourses are also used by the media and some politicians from parties and media not considered to be far-right.

Nor can we ignore the growing DENIALISM of the Islamic legacy of Spain, the manipulation of the history of Al-Andalus and the Islamophobic historical interpretations, makes us insist on the claim of the recovery of the ANDALUSIAN, MUDEJAR AND MOORISH HISTORICAL MEMORY OF SPAIN.
Islamophobia against REFUGEES is consolidated.
BY AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES: Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid are the autonomous communities where the highest number of incidents of an Islamophobic nature occur.