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The World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) held an online seminar titled “During “Citizenship and Coexistence: Towards Building Inclusive and Sustainable Models in Multicultural European Societies,” featured Abdel Samad El Yazidi, Director General of German Institute for Dialogue and Understanding (Muwatana), and Dr Asmaa Abbas, Arab-Danish journalist and Editor-in-Chief of “Denmark 24” platform.

The seminar featured extensive and insightful discussions on the challenges facing Muslim communities in Europe. Speakers emphasized the need to redefine the concepts of migration and integration and to promote a model of "inclusive citizenship" as a response to the rise of right-wing populism. 

They also warned that technology and artificial intelligence could become new arenas of conflict over identity.

During the seminar, El Yazidi stressed that meaningful integration into European societies begins with answering a fundamental question: "Who am I, and how do I express myself freely?”

He explained that current issues in the European context—most notably Islamophobia—may appear to target a specific group, but in reality, they affect the values of society as a whole and threaten social cohesion.

El Yazidi called for abandoning narrow terms such as "guest workers," a historical label applied to early migrants that carries exclusionary connotations, and replacing it with the concept of "inclusive citizenship." 

He noted that this concept has roots in Islamic tradition, citing the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) establishment of brotherhood between the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and the Ansar (Supporters), as well as the Constitution of Medina, which united Muslims, Christians, and Jews under a shared framework for peaceful coexistence. 

El Yazidi further praised the UAE as one of the leading contemporary models for promoting tolerance.

For her part, Abbas stated that Europe has reached a stage where it must move beyond simply "managing migration" toward fundamentally redefining the concept itself. She pointed out that demographic changes are directly affecting Muslim communities across the continent.

She highlighted the significant challenges facing Muslims in Europe, particularly the integration dilemma arising from the wide cultural gap between Islamic and Scandinavian societies. 

Abbas warned of the growing influence of right-wing populist movements, which have shifted from the political margins to the center of policymaking and government formation, increasingly targeting Muslims through their rhetoric.

She further noted that while the media is often described as a mirror of society, it does not always present a balanced reflection of reality.

Muslim youth, Abbas said, are exposed to a media environment that rarely portrays them positively, while social media has become a catalyst that accelerates crises and amplifies existing challenges.