MAGIC (Muslim women and communities Against Gender Islamophobia in society) was a project devised to prevent gender Islamophobia in Spain and in Belgium, in particular in media outlets, and to draw lessons useful for other European countries.
The project was implemented by a consortium led by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and formed by the Media Diversity Institute Global, the Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en Belgique and the Fundación Al Fanar para el Conocimiento Árabe.
In the span of two years (2021-2023) the project has map gender islamophobia in Belgian and Spanish newspapers and equip Muslim communities´ leaders, Muslim women, and CSOs working on diversity with skills and tools to recognize and stand against stereotypes against Muslim women in public narratives and to promote inclusiveness of Muslim voices in the media. This was achieved through training and supporting awareness campaigns but also by enhancing knowledge, dialogue, and mutual cooperation among those groups and media practitioners.
The project team produced a series of studies on issues related to Muslim women in the EU, as well as toolkits for civil society organisations and journalists, such as:
=> A toolkit called Speak up for Diversity! for Muslim communities and civil society actors working for a more diverse, just and inclusive society.
=> Guidelines for Training Media Circles on Inclusiveness and Preventing Gender Islamophobia (produced by MDI) called Report Diversity!
=> A study entitled MAGIC European Roadmap which includes recommendations for action on how to advocate for and promote more inclusive narratives about Muslim women in public narratives, as well as a summary of the activities and achievements of the MAGIC project during its implementation.
These activities involved at least 60 Muslim communities´ leaders and Muslim women, 60 representatives of NGOs/CSOs, and 60 representatives of media circles. Joint activities and continuous exchanges between these groups lead ultimately to the creation of MAGIC – a Coalition of Muslim women and communities Against Gender Islamophobia in society -.
The envisaged role of this coalition was to pursue the goals of the project beyond its duration and geographical framework.
Lead Partner: European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)
Partners: Media Diversity Institute Global, Fundación Al Fanar para el Conocimiento Árabe, Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en Belgique
Region/Country: EU, Spain, Belgium
Timeframe: March 2021-March 2023
Website: https://magic.iemed.org/
