Rio 2016: terror stigma increases violence against Muslims

Attacks against Muslims have increased in Rio de Janeiro since a group of people were arrested on suspicion of planning to carry out terrorist acts during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Attacks against Muslims have increased in Rio de Janeiro since a group of people were arrested on suspicion of planning to carry out terrorist acts during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The fact was reported to Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes by the National Union of Islamic Associations (UNI) vice-President Ali Hussein Taha at the Federal Police Superintendency in Rio de Janeiro, where leaders of the Brazilian Muslim community convened to address cases of discrimination and intimidation facing Muslim people in Brazil.

“We’re actually Brazilian nationals. There are nearly 1.5 million of Brazilian Muslims in the national territory, from different generations. Above that, we’re Brazilians, and religion should be no grounds for treating people better or worse, and this is the issue we’ve come to talk about with the minister. We have brought forward a collaboration plan and we’ll wait and see how it unfolds,” said the head of the UNI.

Taha mentioned a case in which a Muslim woman was physically attacked in Copacabana, south Rio de Janeiro, four days ago.