The Islamophobia Observatory opened at the Institut de Recherche et d’Education et de la Dialogue Intercultural (Iredi), based in Dudelange, at the start of 2018.

It has no policing powers but its goal is to collect information on islamophobic incidents, such as discrimination and violence towards muslims in Luxembourg, and to verify whether it constitutes Islamophobia.

“Having experienced several situations of Islamophobia, in which the victim was my wife and friends, I find myself obliged to protect myself in one way or another,” the founder told Delano via email.

The group is composed of three to four people with a range of specialisations, all of whom wish to remain anonymous “especially in the media because they are often the first victims of Islamophobia”, the founder said, adding: “We are a very small group of people who wish to curb Islamophobia in Luxembourg and elsewhere facilitate the daily life of our mothers, our wives, our sisters, our daughters among the population so that they feel safe and can walk around freely without fear of Islamophobia.”

The observatory functions alone without financial support and is entirely volunteer-run. There are thought to be between 10,000 and 15,000 Muslims living in Luxembourg.

Muslim leaders and advocacy groups around the world have expressed concerns about a rise in Islamophobia, defined as a dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims.

This has given rise to the creation of Facebook groups to expose incidents and generally raise awareness, such as “Exposing Islamophobia”, “Islamophobia” and “Against Islamophobia”.

If you feel that you or someone you know has been the victim of Islamophobia in Luxembourg, you can report it to the observatory by calling 691 568 776 or emailing [email protected].