'We are against any form of hatred, no matter what manifestation it takes,' Al-Issa says
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Extremism, Islamophobia, and the ongoing war in Gaza remain pressing concerns for the Arab and Islamic worlds and are increasingly drawing global attention and scrutiny. These issues not only affect the regions directly involved but also resonate with broader international communities concerned with peace, justice, and human rights.
Muslims make up more than a third of the world's population, with significant minority communities living across Europe. These communities often face complex challenges within broader society, including discrimination, social exclusion, and cultural misunderstandings that can hinder integration and mutual respect.
In an interview with The Europe Conversation, Euronews spoke with Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, to discuss a wide range of religious, social, and political issues of shared concern between Europe and the Islamic world.
Dr Al-Issa condemned all forms of hatred and division, strongly advocating for peaceful coexistence and encouraging Muslim minorities in Europe to actively contribute to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of their countries.
Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Dr Al-Issa remains hopeful and believes that through sincere dialogue, justice, and cooperation, Gaza will eventually regain its strength, stability, and dignity.
Founded in 1962 and based in Mecca, the Muslim World League is an Islamic non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Islam, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue. It is funded by Saudi Arabia and private donations.
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Euronews
22 minutes ago
- Euronews
France leads crackdown on #SkinnyTok while Brussels plays catch-up
Under pressure from the French government, TikTok has banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok, a controversial trend linked to the glorification of extreme thinness and unhealthy weight-loss advice. The move comes amid mounting concerns across Europe over the platform's influence on young users and its role in promoting body image disorders. The French Ministry for Digital Affairs celebrated the removal as a significant step toward protecting minors online. 'This is a first collective victory,' Digital Minister Clara Chappaz wrote on X on Sunday, adding that she wants to ban social media platforms for minors under 15 years of age. The now-banned hashtag had amassed more than half a million posts, many glamorising extreme thinness, sharing guilt-inducing messages like "you aren't ugly, you are just fat." The content overwhelmingly featured young women, often filtered to appear thinner, reinforcing toxic body standards for millions of viewers across the world. However, despite the removal of the hashtag, concerns persist. Typing 'SkinnyTok' into the app now redirects users to wellness advice, but similar harmful content still thrives under altered or misspelled hashtags. For Charlyne Buiges, a nurse specialising in eating disorders who started the petition that helped push the issue into public view, the ban is a moment of validation: 'It's a great victory, I was very happy,' she said. 'I immediately reinstalled the TikTok application and went to see if it was really real. Once I saw the hashtag was banned, I told myself I didn't do all this for nothing," she told Euronews. Ella Marouani, a 22-year-old nursing student who has battled an eating disorder that she says was fueled by social media told Euronews she felt frustrated by the lack of action from the platform: 'I made several reports to TikTok about videos that were problematic and each time I was told that the rules of the community had not been violated' she said. Ella's experience paints a sobering picture of how early - and how easily - such content can shape a young person's self-image. 'I came across a few #SkinnyTok videos in my algorithm and they made me deeply angry,' she said. 'A few years ago, I would have probably believed in these videos so I am deeply angry for the young people who come across this content," she said. Health professionals have also been sounding the alarm. Lea Tourain, a Paris-based nutritionist, sees firsthand how distorted body ideals impact teenagers. 'I think it's really dangerous, and it scares me because it's becoming more and more fashionable,' she said. 'In my consultations, I have young girls who come with an image of themselves, with a filter, or simply with someone they follow on social media, who advocates extreme thinness and they ask me how to achieve the same body. It's very worrying," she explained in an interview with Euronews. Despite TikTok's claims that it enforces 'strict rules against body shaming and dangerous behaviour related to weight loss,' many say enforcement is either too weak or too slow. That's one of the key concerns for French Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte, who leads a parliamentary commission investigating social media's role in spreading harmful content. Delaporte is calling for a coordinated European response and tougher penalties for platforms that fail to act. 'We need to stop the digital giants from setting up dangerous and flawed algorithms that ultimately aggravate mental disorders,' he said. 'We do need to impose sanctions at European level, sanctions at an international level, fines if need be… at some point we need to bang our fists on the table and consider even banning the platform.' The European Commission, which launched a formal investigation into TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA) in February 2024, remained largely on the sidelines during this latest move. The absence of the Commission in this decision raised doubts about the EU's role in enforcing its own tech rules. Meanwhile, a growing number of European countries, including Belgium and Switzerland, also took their steps against the platform, just as France had done, circumventing Brussels. Belgium's Digital Minister Vanessa Matz had filed a formal complaint against TikTok and referred the issue to the Commission. In Switzerland, lawmakers are exploring ways to regulate the platform, possibly through age restrictions. Spain has cancelled a deal to purchase anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of €285 million. The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, local media said. "The goal is clear...a total disconnection from Israeli technology," government spokesperson Pilar Alegría told reporters, adding the government is studying "the effects of the cancellation." Israel's Defence Ministry referred questions on the decision back to Rafael, which declined to comment. Pap Tecnos has not issued a comment either. Spain approved the deal on 3 October 2023 four days before the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. That attack left around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, dead. Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently still holding 58 in Gaza, of whom fewer than 24 are believed to still be alive. Spain's leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of 2 October that year, but there where reports some shipments slipped through. Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced for up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies. Spain formally recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top United Nations court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the charge. There has been growing concern in the west about the Israeli military offensive in Gaza which has to date killed 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Last week, Israel's Foreign Ministry accused French President Emmanuel Macron of being on a "crusade against the Jewish state," after he urged the international community to harden its stance towards Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn't improve. "There is no humanitarian blockade. This is a blatant lie," the ministry said, defending its control over the flow of aid into the enclave. "But instead of putting pressure on jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt his national holiday will be October 7," the statement said, referring to the 7 October 2023 militant attack on Israel. During a three-hour televised interview earlier in May, Macron said Europe should consider sanctioning Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are thought to be now facing starvation. And last month, the UK government said it was suspending free trade negotiations with Israel and had introduced new sanctions on settlements in the West Bank as Westminster ramped up its criticism of the ongoing military operation in Gaza. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK's existing trade agreement with Israel remains in effect but the government couldn't continue discussions with an administration pursuing what he called "egregious" policies in the two territories. Those remarks followed a joint condemnation he issued on 19 May with Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that marked one of the most significant criticisms by close allies of Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and its actions in the West Bank.
Euronews
12 hours ago
- Euronews
Euronews targeted by anti-Moldova disinformation campaign
More false videos alleging criminality and health issues in Moldova and attributed to Euronews are circulating online, with some even being posted by accounts posing as Euronews staff. One video claims that Moldova ranks first in the number of STD carriers in Europe, while others talk of waves of illegal immigration flowing from Moldova into the European Union, particularly Italy. Rome has seen a rise in the number of criminal gangs making false documents for immigrants from Moldova, according to one of the fake videos. All of them use Euronews' graphics and branding and many have been shared by accounts on TikTok and X purporting to be current or former Euronews journalists, including one which claims to be the channel's former CEO. They've received thousands of views and likes as of the time of writing, but Euronews did not produce these videos. Our graphics and format were copied and used without our consent and our teams are working to ensure the video is removed from all social platforms. The accounts posing as Euronews staff feature profile pictures that appear to be AI-generated. One supposedly belongs to a man called Brandon Goyce, who claims to be Euronews' former CEO. However, no such person has ever served as the channel's CEO and online searches yield no trace of anyone who bears that name and works in the media. Other profiles contain similar uncanny avatars and the same bio: #Euronews or #Euronews rep. They have also all only posted a single video each, all related to the same subject matter about Moldova and follow no other accounts. The false videos and accounts appear to be part of the Matryoshka campaign, a coordinated pro-Russian operation known among fact-checkers for spreading false news reports stylised as material from international media outlets, academic institutions and government agencies. The campaign often targets EU and NATO countries, as well as Ukraine, seemingly in an effort to weaken alliances and discredit Western democracies. EuroVerify has already debunked other false videos attributed to Euronews as part of the disinformation campaign. A fake video posted on Russian Telegram channels claimed that corruption had pushed Moldova to become one of the biggest black markets for arms sales. It also attributed a false quote to a Romanian minister. Another alleged that Romania cautioned French authorities over interference in the Romanian presidential election runoff. In both instances, Euronews and national authorities in France and Romania fully denounced the videos and their contents.
Euronews
15 hours ago
- Euronews
Belgian donor scandal sees man with cancer gene conceive 52 children
Belgium has found itself in the midst of a scandal after it was revealed that a Danish sperm donor with a pathogenic gene mutation conceived 52 children with 37 different Belgian women between 2007 and 2018. The gene mutation, known as TP53, confers a significantly increased risk of cancer. Belgium has the so-called 'six-women rule', setting the legal limit of six families per donor. However, this was rarely implemented in practice because donations are made anonymously. As a result, fertility centres were unaware if they had each used the same donor multiple times. The Belgian government has decided to change the existing law and get rid of the provision of anonymity — including the intention of doing so in its coalition agreement. "It is all hands on deck now to work on the texts for this purpose, and with this latest news, it has become all the more important to realise this ," Billy Buyse, a spokesperson for Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, told Euronews. "So this will definitely be pushed through under this government," Buyse emphasised. MP for the right-wing N-VA party Frieda Gijbels tabled a bill on removing anonymity a few months ago. However, local media reported that there is opposition from the industry. This has a lot to do with the six-women rule and how well this has been implemented. In the last three years alone, 22 violations of the rule have been identified. N-VA president Valerie Van Peel, who led the dossier in the previous two legislatures, cited pressure from some fertility doctors not to take steps. "There are of course doctors who have committed violations themselves," Gijbels said. "They don't like the lids going off the jars." The proposal to lift anonymity has also sparked concerns that donors may be deterred. However, Gijbels said examples from abroad prove otherwise. She pointed to France, which in 2022 decided that donors of sperm, eggs and embryos will have their identities put on the record. "In France, they have lifted anonymity and the number of donors has even increased,' Gijbels said. Vandenbroucke's cabinet was only informed about the extent of the scandal involving the Danish donor at the end of May. However, the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG), responsible for quality controls and donation irregularities, was made aware much earlier. In November 2023, the agency received a European rapid alert about the Danish sperm donor and the fact he had a pathogenic gene mutation linked to an increased risk of cancer. Some affected mothers were notified by the fertility centres in the months that followed. This was then confirmed to the FAGG. "We were baffled that the FAGG did not notify us immediately. First, they did not let us know that a medical risk had arisen, but we were also unaware of the large number of victims," Vandenbroucke told domestic media. Earlier this week, it came to light that 67 children across Europe were allegedly conceived with this sperm, in 46 families, and that 52 children in Belgium were affected. So far, at least 10 children have been diagnosed with cancer. Meanwhile, 23 were diagnosed with the gene mutation, making them more vulnerable to developing a wide range of cancers. An audit of the FAGG will be carried out with a specific focus on internal quality processes, enforcement and inspection, as well as communication with externals. The first results are expected after the summer. Vandenbroucke also asked the FAGG to check with the families concerned whether their child had undergone genetic screening in the meantime, as it had not followed up with families since first informing them of the issue with the donor. Finally, Vandenbroucke has also called for an improved system at the European level, "because different quotas apply in all countries and nobody knows how often foreign donor sperm is really used." Three Serbian nationals have been arrested in France in connection with the vandalism of Jewish sites in Paris over the weekend, according to local media, with the incident drawing parallels with previous similar cases where Russian involvement was suspected. Three synagogues, a Jewish restaurant and a Holocaust memorial were sprayed with green paint on Saturday in the city's historic Marais district and 20th arrondissement. Authorities in Paris immediately launched an investigation into "damage committed on religious grounds". On Monday, the Serbian nationals were reportedly arrested in the southeastern region of Alpes-Maritimes as they were preparing to leave France. The vandalism bears similarities to two other apparent antisemitic attacks on Jewish sites in Paris in recent years, with authorities stating that there was reason to believe Russian intelligence services were involved in a bid to stir tensions in the French society. A source close to the investigation told AFP that French authorities believed the latest incident was a destabilisation operation from a foreign actor, "given the similarities with the modus operandi used for the 'red hands' graffiti". In May 2024, red hands were painted at the Parisian memorial for those who saved people from the city's Jewish community from Nazi persecution during the 1940-1944 occupation of France. Three Bulgarian nationals were identified by French authorities as being behind the tags. In October 2023, dozens of Stars of David were graffitied on walls in Paris and its outskirts. In that case, two Moldovan nationals were apprehended, according to domestic press. French security services said a Moldovan-Russian businessman was identified as their potential handler. In the 2023 case, media including AFP and Le Monde cited French intelligence sources saying that that the vandalism had been "commissioned by Russian security services". Moscow denied any involvement and described the reports as "stupid" and "outrageous". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron over the latest vandalism, saying he must do more to clamp down on antisemitism in France. The country has a large Jewish population, which has made it a frequent flashpoint for rising antisemitism. In recent years, reports of antisemitic incidents have surged in France, with a sharp rise reported in 2023 after the 7 October Hamas attacks in Israel.
