Assalamu Alaikum - Islamophobia is Increasing in Europe

Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters, I need to get something off my chest. Islamophobia in Europe feels like it's getting worse every day. You wake up, go to work, study, try to be part of society, mind your own business, and still people say disrespectful things about our deen as if we should quietly accept it. I'm from Sweden, born and raised. Nearly every day there's negative talk about Islam in the news. Recently someone was even allowed on live television to say mosques should be destroyed and received applause from the audience. Politicians spread falsehoods about us, the media blows things out of proportion, and some people complain about “losing their culture” when really it's their own choices that change things, not us. The hostility isn't hidden anymore - it's open, casual, and everywhere. On a personal note, I'm dealing with this at work. Coworkers casually say things like Islamic culture is oppressive, Islam holds people back, or that women are forced to wear the hijab. I tell them to ask any Muslim sister whether she wears hijab against her will, but they ignore it and carry on like they're talking about the weather. I defend my religion because how could I not? But I won't lie - sometimes I stay quiet. Once I just nodded when asked something because I worry about my job and being labeled an extremist, even though all I'm doing is standing up for the truth. This is the reality for many of us. We want to protect our deen, but we also need to keep our livelihoods. In the end we are Muslims - we have iman, they may not. Stand firm. Safeguard your faith. We don't apologize for who we are, and no matter how much hate surrounds us, our iman will rise above it.