The new allegation in Islamophobic discourse is that even Muslims who appear ‘well-integrated’ hate the westReporting on the rise of anti-Muslim hostility across Europe means repeatedly hearing generalisations about Europe’s 25 million Muslims. We are – all of us – too religious, easily drawn to extremism and terrorism, we live in parallel societies and Muslim women, especially those who wear the hijab, are victims of fanatical patriarchal oppression or foot soldiers in a drive to replace indigenous white Europeans.Again and again, European governments instruct us to integrate: come in, step out of the shadows and join the sunny European mainstream. We should be less “foreign”, more European, adopt “European values” (just which ones is left unclear, but drinking beer and eating pork seem to be among them), get an education and then – and only then – actively participate in the political, economic and social life of our “host societies” which, according to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, are purely Christian.Shada Islam is a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. She runs New Horizons project, a strategy, analysis and advisory companyDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...