New York: Corporate America has been called on to combat anti-Muslim hatred and enforce anti-discrimination laws to fill a perceived void from government after the election of US President Donald Trump.
The call, from the European Union and former Obama officials who led political initiatives to combat discrimination, comes amid uncertainty about US policy on immigration, impending elections in Europe, and US Department of Justice figures that show an increase in hate crimes across the US.
![A demonstrator takes part in a protest against US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban in London.](/web/20170204050925im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/1/t/c/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu59b7.png/1486182416156.jpg)
According to the FBI's most recent hate crime figures released in November, there was a 67 per cent spike in incidents targeting Muslims in the US in 2015, and a seven per cent rise in hate crimes overall.
Shaarik Zafar, the US government's former Special Representative to Muslim Communities, a position created by President Obama, said the new president must show leadership and follow his predecessors in condemning anti-Muslim bigotry and racial discrimination.
"President Bush went to a mosque right after 9/11, President Obama consistently spoke out against anti-Muslim bigotry and hatred, and it's important that government officials continue to assume this mantle of leadership," Zafar said. "But beyond words, you need action."
![Demonstrators protest against Trump's ban in Melbourne on Friday.](/web/20170204050925im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/j/s/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu59b7.png/1486182416156.jpg)
He sees a role for the private sector in self-policing existing anti-discrimination laws as well as investing in diversity and inclusivity.
"There's a business case for that," Zafar said. "Diverse and inclusive environments are better for business because you retain employees, you get innovation, and you avoid groupthink and, frankly, you have access to global markets, including in the Muslim world."
The figures submitted to the FBI by 15,494 law enforcement agencies across the US, saw 5818 single-bias incidents involving 7121 victims in 2015 alone. Of those victims, 59.2 per cent were targeted because of a race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias while 19.7 per cent were because of a religious bias.
Of the 1402 victims of anti-religious hate crimes: 52.1 per cent were victims of crimes motivated by their offenders' anti-Jewish bias, 21.9 per cent were victims of anti-Islamic bias compared to 4.3 per cent of victims of anti-Catholic bias.
![A child joins protests in Melbourne against Trump's travel ban affecting citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.](/web/20170204050925im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/j/s/3/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gu59b7.png/1486182416156.jpg)
"Anti-Semitism is growing globally, anti-Muslim bigotry is growing globally," Zafar said. "There's a role for coalitions now more than ever. There's a nascent coalition between American Muslims and American Jews. That is just beginning but has tremendous potential."
Immigration and discrimination issues are not solely an American problem. With elections to be held in France, Germany, Holland, and Hungary this year, European countries are being asked to confront domestic challenges.
![A protester sends a message to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Melbourne.](/web/20170204050925im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/j/s/6/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gu59b7.png/1486182416156.jpg)
"As Brexit and President Trump's victory has shown, we can take nothing for granted in terms of what the media says and what polls say," said Alfiaz Vaiya, Coordinator of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup.
"We do have a threat in Europe that could have some politicians from the extreme far right, if not leading governments, then leading parties that gain the most votes in their own elections. The problems stem from the lack of political leadership in Europe."
Vaiya said the European Commission was attempting to lead a fight against racism and intolerance across the continent but not all EU member states were backing initiatives.
"Member states need to take more action and actually treat this as a problem," he said.
The officials were speaking in the wake of the United Nations hosting the UN High-Level Forum on Combating Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Hatred in New York last month, days before President Trump took office. The forum was hosted by the missions of the United States and Canada to the UN, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the delegation of the European Union to the UN.
Alongside government, the private sector has a major role to play in tempering attitudes and creating opportunities for potentially disenfranchised sectors of the community, said David Friggieri, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Anti-Muslim Hatred.
"EU member states need to do better to make sure that all sectors of society have similar opportunities and that these opportunities are open to everyone," Friggieri said. "One of the main doors to this is private employment."
Added Vaiya: "High unemployment rates amongst minority youth can also lead to exclusion and in turn lead to radicalisation and security problems. So tackling employment issues has to be a priority of the EU and the member states."
Several American companies have already pushed back on Trump's travel ban, Goldman Sachs told employees the company does not support the immigration curbs, while Netflix, Microsoft and Apple, among others, also publicly stated their disagreement, while Uber CEO Travis Kalanick quit Trump's business advisory group to avoid being perceived as endorsing the policy.
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