Christmas 2020 at Mareena (source: Courtesy of Mareena)
“Sometimes we are ruled by cats” proclaims a poster depicting two women of different ethnicities sitting at computers as mischievous cats distract them from their work. The women, dressed in colourful outfits and accessories, look amused and care-free, but the quotation on the bottom of the poster is much more serious in tone.
It reads: Look for similarities, not differences. Together against Islamophobia
Launched on January 18, the Look for similarities, not differences campaign aims to reduce Islamophobia, defined as a fear of and prejudice against the religion of Islam and Muslims, by pointing out what Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe have in common. The campaign, funded by the European Commission through the international project COPE, is a collaborative effort of four organisations from three European countries: The Museum of Modern Art MUMOK and Caritas Wien of Austria, the Polish cultural centre NOMADA, and Mareena, a civic association in Slovakia.
The campaign “presents the public with entertaining illustrations from everyday life that will please or upset everyone, regardless of religion, exactly the same”, say its organisers.
