(Arab News) The Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations in Italy (UCOII) has launched a crowdfunder to set up an Italian Anti-Islamophobia Network (NIA), to counter anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.
The network will collect reports of Islamophobia through an online portal and experts on the field. It will also launch communication campaigns and will develop local training events against Islamophobia in Italy.
According to a study quoted by UCOII, 65 percent of Italian Muslims claim to have suffered from violence, prejudice or discrimination. The same research shows that women are the most affected victims. “For example, if they wear religious symbols, they frequently become targets of verbal aggression in public and hate speech on social media. Plus, they experience difficulties in accessing the labor market,” it said.
