Europe once welcomed me. Today, I fear it would not – and that’s a threat to all of us | Shada Islam

Across the EU, far-right ideas are becoming mainstream while refugees and Muslims are demonised. But change is still possible

I arrived in Brussels four decades ago as a student, scarred by the legacy of two deadly wars between India and Pakistan, and their constant enmity. I was ready to be seduced by a story of peace and cooperation - of former enemies reconciled by trade and pooled sovereignty. The EU and me were a perfect fit.

Improbable as it may sound, Belgium drew me in, loved me back. University life was multicultural and exciting. Fulfilling a long-held dream, I became a reporter and started covering, later writing and commenting on, EU foreign policy and Europe's global trade and aid policies.