Discrimination became institutionalized on a global scale in 2025

In 2025, discrimination was no longer confined to isolated hate crimes but emerged as a systematic and institutionalized phenomenon across the globe. Racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination increasingly manifested through state policies, security practices, media discourse, sports institutions, and digital platforms, marking the year as a turning point in the normalization of exclusion.

Experts warn that in many countries discrimination has shifted from being a temporary reaction to crises into a permanent governance practice.

Europe: From the Margins to the Mainstream

Across Europe, 2025 was marked by racist and discriminatory rhetoric moving from fringe groups closer to mainstream politics. In countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordic states, Muslims and migrant-origin communities faced growing pressure through attacks on places of worship, headscarf bans, restrictive public policies, and stigmatizing media narratives.

In the UK, investigations were launched into arson attempts and Islamophobic graffiti targeting mosques in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. Muslim organizations reported a rise in physical assaults against women wearing headscarves, deepening concerns over public safety.

In Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, a ban on wearing full-face veils such as the burqa in public spaces came into force, with fines ranging from 100 to 10,000 Swiss francs for violations.

Germany recorded multiple incidents of mosques being vandalized with racist and anti-Muslim graffiti, which Muslim umbrella organizations linked to the rise of far-right and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party further sparked controversy by distributing campaign leaflets resembling one-way plane tickets to migrants and refugees.

In Scandinavia, provocations involving the burning of copies of the Qur’an reignited debates over the balance between freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Muslim communities in Sweden and Denmark described these acts as hate crimes and deliberate provocations.

France remained at the center of controversy over attempts to expand bans on headscarves from sports to education, alongside intensified administrative and financial scrutiny of mosques and Islamic organizations. Critics argued these measures questioned the legitimacy of Muslim identity in public life.

United States: Politics, Security, and Islamophobia

In the United States, far-right politicians and candidates drew widespread criticism for rhetoric targeting Islam and Muslims. On social media and in campaign materials, Muslims were frequently portrayed as a threat to national security and social order.

One prominent figure, gubernatorial candidate Valentina Gomez, faced backlash for sharing provocative videos involving the Qur’an and associating Muslims with crime. Civil society organizations condemned the content as incitement to hatred.

Individual provocations also caused public outrage, including footage of a man identified as Jake Lang staging an anti-Muslim act involving a pig’s head and the Qur’an in a public space.

Calls to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organizations were criticized by human rights groups as baseless and discriminatory, warning against the collective criminalization of Muslims.

Racism and Discrimination in Sports

Sports arenas reflected broader societal tensions. Athletes across multiple disciplines reported verbal abuse, exclusion, and institutional barriers linked to ethnicity and religion.

During a EuroLeague basketball match between Fenerbahçe Beko and Partizan in Belgrade, Serbian fans displayed a banner glorifying Miloš Obilić, a historical figure associated with the killing of Ottoman Sultan Murad I. While the EuroLeague fined the Serbian club, a decision to close the stands was postponed, drawing criticism.

In Germany, racist messages were painted in blood-red color at the entrance of Eving Selimiye Sports Club, founded by Turkish immigrants in Dortmund. In England, Premier League player Antoine Semenyo reported racist abuse during a match at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium, highlighting the persistence of fan-driven racism.

Spain’s El Clásico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona saw arrests following racist abuse directed at Barcelona players Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Meanwhile, Sky News removed footage showing Israeli fans chanting racist slogans ahead of a UEFA Europa League match in Amsterdam, sparking debate over censorship.

France’s continued ban on headscarves in official sports competitions intensified criticism from women athletes and rights groups, who argued the policy violates principles of equality. Similar concerns arose in Australia following reports of racist chants targeting Black players in lower football leagues.

FIFA reiterated that referees have the authority to suspend matches in cases of racist abuse, reinforcing international efforts to combat discrimination in sports.

Immigration and Security Policies Under Scrutiny

In North America, discrimination increasingly took shape through immigration and security policies. In the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices were criticized as disproportionate and discriminatory.

The detention of British journalist Sami Hamdi upon entering the US, allegedly due to his work on Palestine, raised concerns over press freedom and political discrimination. Asian and Pacific Islander communities also faced intensified enforcement, with detentions tripling year-on-year to more than 3,700 in early 2025, despite most detainees having no criminal record.

Palestine solidarity protests on university campuses led to arrests, disciplinary actions, and deportation threats. At Columbia University in New York, 50 current and former law professors reportedly lost their positions after supporting pro-Palestinian protests.

Somali American communities became frequent targets of racial and religious discrimination, particularly in Minnesota, where conspiracy-driven claims that the state had been “taken over” by Somalis spread widely online. Community groups responded with coordinated campaigns to counter misinformation.

Asia: Legal and Administrative Exclusion

In Asia, discrimination was most visible through legal and administrative mechanisms. In India, amendments to the Waqf Act expanded state oversight of Muslim religious properties, drawing criticism from human rights groups. Following heightened tensions with Pakistan, thousands of Muslims in Assam and West Bengal were detained or deported as alleged “Bangladeshi migrants,” even when holding citizenship documents.

The state-backed inauguration of the Ram Temple on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was viewed by Muslim communities as a symbolic act of exclusion.

In Central Asia, restrictions on religious dress intensified. Bans on headscarves and face-covering garments in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and parts of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan disproportionately affected Muslim women.

Digital Platforms and Algorithmic Bias

Discrimination extended into the digital sphere, with academics warning that artificial intelligence systems often reproduce biased narratives about certain countries and communities while restricting political content.

Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, faced criticism in Europe for posts perceived as supportive of far-right parties, prompting accusations of interference in domestic politics. Social media platforms were also accused of suppressing pro-Palestinian content, while research indicated that engagement-driven algorithms amplify hate speech and polarization.

Legal Cases Highlight Structural Discrimination

Institutional discrimination reached courtrooms and regulatory bodies. Google agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it favored white and Asian employees over others in pay and promotions, reigniting debate over systemic bias in the tech sector.

In Türkiye, the Human Rights and Equality Institution (TİHEK) fined municipalities for discriminatory practices, including excessive marriage fees for refugees, higher public transport fares for students over 30, selective removal of Arabic signage, and banning children in modest swimwear from swimming pools.

A Global Pattern

Taken together, developments in 2025 suggest that discrimination has evolved into a global, institutionalized pattern rather than a series of isolated incidents. Analysts warn that unless addressed through robust legal safeguards, inclusive governance, and accountability mechanisms, systemic discrimination risks becoming a defining feature of the contemporary international order.

AA