Samir Boudinar says 'important' to involve youth to combating Islamophobia

Young people play an indispensable role in the fight against Islamophobia, actively contributing ideas, launching initiatives, and taking concrete steps to implement them, said Samir Boudinar, Director of the Al Hokama Center for Peace Research.

Speaking on the second day of the international conference titled “Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias, Shattering Stigmas”, held in Baku, he emphasized the need to enhance the influence of youth in this struggle.

“Islamophobia is a deliberately constructed phenomenon that impacts not only Muslims but poses a broader threat to humanity as a whole. To strengthen the role of youth, public opinion research should be conducted to identify how Islamophobia manifests in Western countries, and legal frameworks must be integrated into efforts to address it. Legal approaches are both important and decisive in this fight.”

He also highlighted the challenges young people face in Western societies:

“There are significant difficulties surrounding this issue in Western nations, and youth often bear the brunt of these challenges. Therefore, it is especially important to involve them in combating Islamophobia through institutional engagement.”