Mohamed Bechari: Muslims are no longer temporary residents in the West

Muslims are no longer temporary residents in the West, they have become an integral part of the social, religious and philosophical fabric of these societies, Mohamed Bechari, Secretary General of the World Council of Muslim Communities, said at a panel session on “Preserving Islamic Cultural Heritage in a Changing World,” held in Baku.

Report quotes Bechari as saying, therefore, they cannot be called “displaced,” because this term implies forced migration:

"Today, there are cases of violence against Muslims. Today, more than 5 million Muslims are citizens of France, and these people are already 3rd and 4th generation Muslims. Among these Muslims are political leaders. The largest municipality in the Netherlands, Rotterdam, was once ruled by a Muslim. The mayor of London, the largest municipality in Great Britain, is a Pakistani Muslim. In other words, there are now municipal leaders and political leaders among Muslims. All this is an indication of a new reality that we are living in."

Bechari believes that everyone should accept the multicultural reality:

"In some cases, what is happening can only be described as racism. This racism is directed at people either because of the color of their skin, or because of their genetic makeup, or because of their social status. So what can we do? We must no longer be satisfied with condemnation, but must build common values ​​for cooperation and coexistence. The responsibility lies primarily with the “witness states”, that is, the European countries. They must use all legal and legitimate means to achieve justice and equality."