Abstract
The chaos and devastation the terror group ISIS caused in Syria and Iraq, as it attempted to establish its “caliphate,” caused a massive refugee crisis in various parts of the world, especially in Europe. In 2015 alone, “[m]ore than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe …, sparking a crisis as countries struggled to cope with the influx, and creating division in the EU over how best to deal with resettling people.” The biggest driver of this crisis was the conflict in Syria, followed by other conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq—among others. By the end of 2016, following the UN Refugee Agency, “nearly 5.2 million refugees and migrants reached European shores, undertaking treacherous journeys from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries torn apart by war and persecution.” This refugee crisis was quite unprecedented in Europe’s recent history, and—alongside the Brexit—it threatened to tear apart the EU body. The large numbers of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants descending on Europe sent shock waves throughout the continent, triggering the rise of populist, right-wing politics and anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant discourse. A politics of fear targeted at Muslims living in the West finds its raison d’être in a civilizational rhetoric that portrays Islam a menacing force that could present a real challenge to Western cultural hegemony.
Presenters
Anouar El YounssiAssistant Professor, Humanities, Oxford College of Emory University, Georgia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Migrant Crisis, European Far Right, Muslims, Syrian Civil War, Identity
