Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Karima, December 2008
ABC News reports that Islamophobia has increased dramatically since the event of September 11th (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 1). Not only has fear and hatred against Muslims increased, but also harassment and physical abuse are significantly rising. Sarah Abdullah of Arab News reports that a Muslim woman, a mother of six young children, was brutally murdered in front of her toddler child while she was on her way to pick up her children from a local primary school (Abdullah, par. 2). The Socialist Worker online states that a man attacked veiled Muslim women in Blackburn, Britain, only due to their garments of faith (“Islamophobia Is Part,” par. 2). Furthermore, ABC News reports how racial profiling of Muslim people is constantly used on the governmental level such as police forces and airports. ABC News states, “Last month, almost five years since the attacks, two young Lebanese American men from Dearborn – Osama Abulhassan and Ali Houssaiky – were stopped by police in Marietta, Ohio” (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 8). The men were searched and the police found 10, 000 dollars cash and 20 mobile phones. The men told the police they were simply buying and reselling phones, a way to make extra money, however the police did not believe them. They were accused of having terrorist ties and put in jail. Although the terrorism accusations were later dropped the men still “face misdemeanor charges for falsification of information” (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 15). In addition to similar, racially profiled charges against the Muslim community, airport security has dramatically increased their “random” checks of their passengers. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t one time where I wasn’t “randomly checked” at Western airports after the event of September 11. This also applies to all my family members and friends who have travelled by plane in the same time frame. It appears then, that such searches are not so “random” after all. Furthermore, we have to think again if we believe that these are the only problems. The media has played its cards well in promoting increased Islamophobia, by constantly portraying Muslims as terrorists and terrorists as Muslims. Having this in mind, Islamophobia has many causes. These shall be further discussed through the following questions:
1. What are the causes of Islamophobia?
2. What does the Islamic faith say about violence and terrorism?
3. How do the media play in the spread of Islamophobia?
The tragic event of September 11th shook the Western society as the two towers collapsed to ruins, resulting in almost three thousand innocent deaths. It also shook the Muslim world, as Muslims worldwide became witnesses to a gruesome act in the name of their faith. I remember when I first saw the tragedy on the evening news. I remember my mother crying for the innocents and their families. Later, I remember how many “Muslim” people were arrested and captured due to terrorism ties. I also remember how news papers filled their front pages with “wanted” terrorist for several months after the event of September 11th. I remember how people, reading their morning newspapers on the tube, would glance at me with angry looks making me feel ashamed as if the whole tragedy was purely my fault, though I knew, somewhere within my heart, that they had a good reason to dislike Muslims. After all, after the event of September 11th, Osama Bin Laden claimed credit for the tragedy through his several videos launched, adding several other threats and hate messages to the Western society. The United States, in response, claimed “war on terror” and moved into Afghanistan to liberate its nation from such a “radical Islamic regime”. Not long after, this war on terror became “war of terror” where several innocent people were murdered, homes were bombed to ruins, families were shattered, orphan numbers increased, wives became widows, mothers lost sons and sons lost mothers and yet, many others were captured, tortured, raped and sent to Guantanamo Bay under titles such as “terrorist”, “terrorist helper” or “potential terrorist”. Many of these were young teenagers, some only fifteen years old, who are still living behind bars at Guantanamo Bay, a modern day concentration camp whose inmates have no voice or legal representation; a place where all international human rights are violated in the name of US “liberation” and “war on terrorism”.
Journalist Abdus Ghazali of OpedNews writes, “Seven years after 9/11, Muslims in America remained at the receiving end with assault on their civil rights and their faith in the name of ‘war on terror.’ Muslims are the prime targets of the post 9/11 reconfiguration of American laws, policies, and priorities. Defending civil rights remains the single most important challenge before the seven million-strong American Muslim community as the consequences of the 9/11 tragic terrorist attacks continue to unfold seven years after the ghastly tragedy. The government initiatives have reshaped public attitudes about racial profiling and created a harsh backlash against the Muslim community. At the same time Muslims and Islam remain a popular past time for the US media and some prominent religious and political leaders who never miss any opportunity to attack Muslims and their faith in the name of extremism. Unfortunately, in the post-9/11 America, Islamophobia is not only more widespread but more mainstream and respectable” (Ghazali, par. 1). Ghazali illustrates through his article how common and accepted Islamophobia is, and how this phobia is institutionally supported through government laws and actions. However, though the event of September 11 itself was a critical cause to the increase of Islamophobia, the event also triggered a longer series of other causes that together seem to further increase Islamophobia.
The US retaliation against Afghanistan and its “radical Islamic regime” was interpreted by the Eastern society as an attack on Islam, as the war on terror seemed to kill an increasing number of innocent Muslims, thereby causing more deaths and more terror. For a longer period in history, Muslims worldwide, especially in the East, have felt hopelessness as their countries’ political leaders bred injustice. A critical example is the creation of the Israeli State, an event that not only expelled many Palestinians from their lands and homes but also created hatred on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Extreme forms of retaliation were used, such as bombs, suicide killings and imprisonment. Though the hatred seems to boil on both sides on the Israeli-Palestinian lands, the mainstream global, Muslim community seems to despair upon seeing how Israel can legally murder in the name of “war on Palestinian terror”, while the West silently watches, and sometimes approves. Ford of CSMonitor reports, “From one end of the region to the other, the perception is that Israel can get away with murder - literally - and that Washington will turn a blind eye. Clearly, the US and Israel have compelling reasons for their actions. But little that US diplomats have done in recent years to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians has persuaded Arabs that the US is a fair-minded and equitable judge of Middle Eastern affairs. Over the past year, Arab TV stations have broadcast countless pictures of Israeli soldiers shooting at Palestinian youths, Israeli tanks ploughing into Palestinian homes, Israeli helicopters rocketing Palestinian streets. And they know that the US sends more than $3 billion a year in military and economic aid to Israel” (Ford, par. 18). It seems then that the differing perspectives of the Palestinian-Israeli issue on the Western and Eastern sides create a strong dislike, if not hatred against the Western society, especially the US, which most likely is another cause of Islamophobia, as hatred on one side usually breeds hatred on the opposing sides.
Furthermore, Islam is generally speaking the fastest growing religion worldwide. Young of CNN writes, “The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years” (Young, par. 7). Therefore, the Western perception of Islam’s association with Bin Laden and terrorism and the thought of Islam as one of the world’s fastest growing religions may in fact seem frightening, creating another cause of increased Islamophobia.
In addition to the above causes of Islamophobia, the UN Chronicle Online Edition reports that there are several myths about Islam that are often portrayed in the media, as was discussed during the Unlearning Intolerance seminar in December 2004 at UN Headquarters in New York. Mr. Nasr, one of the attendants at the UN seminar discussed the causes of Islamophobia. Nasr said that there are four main causes of Islamophobia. The first cause is that “Islam was a monolithic whole—a presumption, often found in the Western media, that disregarded the various schools of Islamic thought” (“Unlearning Intolerance,” par. 4). He then continued, “Another illusion was that Islam wanted to rule over the Western world.” Further arguing, he said, “The Islamic world was not anti-Western in itself because, according to surveys, some 70 per cent of adolescents in Islamic countries were interested in studying in the West. Similarly, it was false to believe that Islam was against modernity or democracy, as it affirmed the inherent dignity of each human being.” He further emphasized that Islam was a religion of tolerance by stating that, “Over the centuries, Islamic countries had frequently shown more understanding towards non-Muslims—accommodating Jews or Christians fleeing persecution—than Muslims generally had received in their societies” (par. 4).
It seems that people’s unawareness of the Islamic religion creates a vacuum of knowledge, where people can store their own presumptions about Islam, often according to what they have seen or read in the media. One good example of such assumption is that Islam is a primitive, anti-modern, violence-loving, women-oppressing, child-molesting, and infidel-killing religion held by some people in our society. All these assumptions are directly linked to the media’s portray of Muslims, events such as September 11th and the great lack of knowledge about the Islamic religion. Therefore, while some of the causes of Islamophobia can be blamed by so-called “Muslims” due to their spread of hatred against the West, in addition to their false ideologies about the Islamic faith, it is important to remember that most Islamophobes don’t know much about Islam except from what they have absorbed through the media. Hence, it would be a good idea to see what the Islamic faith and its teaching has to say about Islamophobic causes such as suicide killings, women oppression and terrorism.
Speaking of violence and terrorism, the Qur’an states, “If anyone slays a person
it would be as if he slew all people and if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people” (Qur'an 5:32). Therefore, when “Muslims” murder in the name of Islam, they are literally going against the very teaching of their faiths. A Muslim who does what is against his faith is no longer a Muslim, even if he claims he or she still is. The Arabic word “Muslim” is not a noun, but a verb. It literally means somebody who does “Islam”, where Islam is the submission to one God, the belief in his books: The Quran, the Bible and the Torah, the belief in His Angels, the belief in Heaven and Hell as well as the belief in goodness shown through actions of kindness to all of humanity, be they Muslims or not. Thus, when people such as Osama Bin Laden commit wrongdoing in the name of Islam, they are no longer Muslims, and the very claim of their commitment to Islam becomes nothing but a mere lie. Their “Muslim” identity becomes nothing but a title that seems to give them power in a Muslim community, often living in poverty stricken areas, many illiterates, under oppression from their governments that ultimately make these poor people believe anything that comes out from the mouths of what seems to be very religious people who are willing to fight against the “evil” West. The question we have to ask ourselves is what do these poor, often uneducated and illiterate people know about the Western society from what is displayed in their media and what comes out from so-called “Muslim” leaders and politicians in their countries? Another question we should ask ourselves is what does the West know about true Islam? It seems that there is a clash of knowledge on both sides, and we also have to remember that when people seem to be threatened, they will believe anything, be that a Muslim in the East or an Islamophobe in the West.
Many things that happen in the so-called “Islamic” countries seem to frighten the Western people. We also have to remember that these same things frighten true, Muslim people equally as much. Therefore, it is important for the Western society, including all Islamophobes, to remember that there is a grave difference between Islam and culture. For instance, women’s rights is a big issue that is discussed among Islamophobes. Many claim that the Islamic faith oppresses women, especially the Muslim veil that the women wear. What they do forget, is that this very veil is also a strong modesty symbol in their own religions such as Christianity and Judaism; where Virgin Mary is often portrayed with a veil and nuns and some Jewish women also cover in modesty. In addition, the veil is also used among people of other religions such as some of the Hindus who cover. The veil in itself may have different meanings to different people; however, in Islam it is a sign of Muslim identity, a statement of faith and a sign of modesty. The veil, in many cases is what liberates the women from being looked upon as a sexual object. Though I understand this might be a difficult idea to absorb for some people in the Western society, the Islamic female veil is there so people, in a man dominated world, can look at a female and see a human being, and an intelligent person with a heart and a mind and not a sexual property of pleasure.
Though many “Islamic” countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia seem to go extreme with the interpretation of the veil, it is only for political reasons and further control of females. What the world doesn’t realize, I believe, is that the veil is not strictly a piece of cloth on the head, but also a dress code. While some girls choose to cover their hair as well, since a girl’s hair is often her beauty and pride, others decide only to dress modestly but not cover their hair. The hair is not the issue but modesty is, in which Muslim girls would dress and act in ways that make a statement of their Islamic identity and personal sexuality. Personally, I wear the veil to stress my Muslim identity as well as make a statement that directs people’s gazes to my face, not my body. Therefore, when countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia make the long, dark full-body veil compulsory for every female they go against the Islamic faith as nowhere in the Quran does God command such a dress code. This dark veil used as a political oppression of Women in some Middle Eastern countries might scare the Western society and add to their Islamophobia. Thus, when they see a Muslim girl, living in the West yet covering with the veil, they feel as if the whole concept threatens their liberty and personal freedom. What they forget is that often the veil worn by Muslims living in the West is for the right reasons on the basis of their faiths, and not for political reasons of oppressions as found in some Eastern countries. The veil these girls and women wear is their very freedom, just like the absence of the veil is the non-Muslim’s freedom. Other examples of cultural issues that are linked to Islam are female circumcision, wife beating and infidel killing. These are all cultural, political and socioeconomic issues that are dealt with by masking them with the Islamic faith, in the hope that poor, illiterate and other Muslims in the Eastern society would agree upon and support. Islamophobes should therefore try to see things through different perspectives when dealing with such cultural issues and comparing them to the faith of Islam. One should stop and ask is this culture or is this Islam?
While true Muslims try to educate Islamophobes about the difference between Islam and other political, cultural and socioeconomic acts masked by Islam, the media, in order to sell large number of copies and increase profits aim at current issues that increase peoples fear and therefore create a reader interest that results in high sales. Some of the issues that have repeatedly been used in the media are terrorism and its links to Muslims and Islam in addition to issues such as “Jihad”, infidel killings and women oppression. Though some news papers do indeed highlight positive aspects of the Islamic faith, the “negative” aspects are far more represented in the media. The Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, consistently writes about negative aspects of Muslims, and selectively ignores positive aspects. Another Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang, does the same thing. The same applies to The Sun of Britain and Fox News of the United States.
Furthermore, there have been several anti-Islamic movies freely distributed to residents of the Western society. A good example is Obsession, an anti-Islamic movie that was distributed in millions to residents of the United States, especially in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia in order to increase Islamophobia and possibly affect the 2008 Presidential election. Omid Safi writes, “Something strange has been showing up inside the Sunday newspapers of millions of Americans the past few weeks. The material being included alongside comics, coupons, and advertisement for local stores is a controversial DVD called ‘Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West.’ Some 28 million copies of this DVD have been distributed for free so far in this fashion” (Safi, par. 1). Though many people don’t really take Obsession seriously, it does have some effect as it displays “Muslim” terrorism and cultural wrongdoing as a direct result of the Islamic faith, something that might result in more Islamophobes and/or increase the phobia in current Islamophobes. It also directly hurts the American and global Muslim community as it targets them directly with intense negativity.
The questions are, what should Muslims do to decrease Islamophobia and what should non-Muslims remember when viewing media? In order to decrease Islamophobia among our neighbour citizens of the world, all true Muslims should act according to their faiths, display good character and morals and do goodness to promote a better wellbeing in others. Muslims should collectively stand up and speak up whenever they have the chance to educate cultural “Muslims” and non-Muslims alike about the true face of Islam and its beauty. It is important for the global Muslim community to engage and interact in their countries of residence, engage in politics, educate themselves and their children, get good jobs, involve in charity and educate the rest of the world through good character. It is also important for fellow Muslims to reach out to their brothers and sisters in Eastern countries and correct the perceived corruptness of their faiths, and teach them the difference between oppressive political and cultural “Islam” versus true Islam. One way to combat this problem is by increasing literacy. A Muslim who can read is more likely to understand the true elements of Islam and be more critical toward political leaders such as Osama Bin Laden and the political crew of Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is important for Muslims to create a Muslim Consciousness on the global level that promote true Islam through actions of kindness and compassion, not hatred and violence. It is important for Muslims to be patient and engage in interfaith dialogues in order to answer people’s questions regarding Islam. It is equally important for Muslims to listen as much as they speak in order to find the critical elements of hatred in both Eastern and Western society, and collectively join their fellow citizens to decrease such hatred.
On the other hand, it is important for non-Muslims and Islamophobes to widen their perspectives of the world, be open-minded and engage with Muslims in order to increase their knowledge about the Muslim faith. How can one criticize something if one does not have enough knowledge about it? Some knowledge from the media is corrupt and skewed, and it is therefore important to read the media critically. Interfaith dialogues and seminars are excellent ways to gain knowledge about different faiths. All the interfaith seminars that I have attended were incredibly interesting, fun to attend as well as enlightening. Some of the anti-Muslim people who did attend past seminars did actually become good friends with some of the Muslim attendants and now stand up against Islamophobia. Others, who were not necessarily Islamophobes per se, but still had a very negative image of Islam due to the media, quickly changed their minds after attending interfaith seminars. Some told me that they were surprised that the Muslims who attended the seminars were so “different” than the Muslims in the media, which shows how the media through selective news can easily shape people’s perspective and create prejudice. Therefore, Islamophobes need to understand and remember that many, many Muslims are in fact standing on the same side. Muslims don’t want to see terrorism, they don’t want to see women oppression, and they don’t want to see “infidel killings”. Muslims simply don’t want to see injustice and hatred in their world. When society and the media segregate Muslims with prejudice, stereotyping and Islamophobia, they also create an atmosphere of minimum communication and understanding. Islamophobia, therefore, by regarding all Muslims as one entity, groups all true Muslims on one side, the political and cultural “Muslims” on the other and the rest of the Western society on the third side. In reality, all true Muslims, the Western Society and Islamophobes are all more or less on the same side, however, society’s great lack of knowledge and dialogue blinds the different parts making it seem as if Islam and the Western society are opposing poles.
Such interfaith dialogues are good in that they clear up misconceptions of Islam. Many times do we hear the Arabic words “Jihad” and “martyr” in the media and every time these words are directly linked to terrorism. Sheila Musaji of The American Muslim argues, “When the media or individuals use Arabic terms such as Jihad for acts of terrorism, or when they attach the word Islam in front of a word as in Islamo-fascism, Islamic terrorism, those words have an effect. They have an effect right here in America by linking the religion of Islam and terrorist acts in the mind of ordinary citizens. They have an effect on Muslims who are struggling to make clear to those Muslims who attempt to justify their crimes by some false interpretation of Islamic teachings that we do not accept their claims. They have an effect on Muslims worldwide who because of the use of language like Islamo-Fascist, have come to view the “war on terror” not as a war on al Qaeda, but as a war on Islam itself” (Musaji, par. 3). The Arabic word “Jihad” is used by both terrorists and the Western society to describe terrorism, while the word “Jihad” has a total different meaning in Arabic, and is a very cherished idea in the Islamic faith. It is not holy war, it is not terrorism, but rather the inner struggle of the self. An example of inner struggle could be refraining from verbally hurting others when overwhelmed by anger. A very angry person who keeps quiet and calm under pressure commits Jihad, as Jihad is an inner struggle of the self. Musaji further writes, “Criminal political movements like al-Qaeda who attempt to convince other Muslims that their actions are somehow “Islamic” attempt to call their terrorist acts Jihad, and when their false claims are echoed in the media in the West, that adds some legitimacy to their claims, at East for uneducated Muslims” (par. 4). This is very critical to true Muslims worldwide, as the idea of Jihad is corrupted by the tongues of political “Muslims” and create a whole new and negative image of Islam, instead of giving the true meaning of the word Jihad.
Furthermore, Musaji says, “Terrorism is not Jihad, it is Hirabah. A martyr is a person who dies in the cause of God, most certainly not someone who dies committing an act of terrorism” (par. 7). As martyrdom in Islam is indeed the very idea of “dying for the cause of God”, it is not by hurting others but in fact by doing something good while being selfless, thus “the cause of God”. For example, a person who accidently dies during the construction of a school or while helping others, becomes what in Islam is referred to as a “martyr”; a person who died while doing something good in a selfless manner, without the idea of personal gain. Therefore the term “for the cause of God” is used, which means that the person died while committing good actions. A good example of such a death could be a person who dies while trying to rescue another person from a fire or from drowning. Dying while doing selfless goodness is what makes a Muslim a “martyr”. However, Sheila argues, the Western society’s use of words such as martyr, Islam and Jihad brings negative light upon all Muslims, as it makes these Muslims seem like the culprits of terrorism, yet terrorism goes strictly against the very teachings of Islam. To support her claim, Musaji states, “Terrorism is not a legitimate part of Jihad according to traditional Islamic scholars, and mainstream Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims regularly attempt to point this out because they are aware that the only appeal to reason that might influence extremists who claim an Islamic justification in any way is the appeal to Islamic teachings. If you must use an Arabic word, use the correct word HIRABAH which is the word that would correspond to these acts of terrorism” (par. 8).
It is clear, from Musaji’s article, that mainstream and what I call true Muslims strongly disagree with terrorism, the corruption of their cherished faith and the usage of Arabic, religious terms such as Jihad. It is true that Islam itself does not promote violence, terrorism and oppression, but cultural and political “Muslims” continue to use faith as a power tool to win approval among other, often illiterate and poor Muslims. It is true that Islamophobia is increasing as media constantly portrays Muslims in negative ways and it is also true that mainstream, true Muslims worldwide suffer not only due to Islamophobia but also due to cultural and political “Muslims” who corrupt their faith. It is true that our fear, dislike and hatred has blinded some of us with arrogance and ignorance, but it is also true that it isn’t too late to reach a hand over to the other side, Muslims to Islamophobes and Islamophobes to Muslims, in order to unite in the battle for justice. Justice always comes with knowledge.
I once overheard a Middle Eastern boy reply to his mother’s negative remarks regarding some white people. He said, “They’re just white people, not monsters.” Perhaps it is time for the rest of our global society to open our minds and engage in dialogues, question each other and arrive at potential solutions if not friendship. Perhaps it is time for Muslims to stretch out their hands in friendship to all non-Muslims and Islamophobes and perhaps it is time for Islamophobes to accept the Muslims’ outstretched hands and say, “They’re just Muslims, not monsters.”
Works Cited
Abdullah, Sarah. “‘Wear a Hijab Day’, US Muslims’ response to Killing" Arab News. 8 November 2006. 8
November 2008 .
Ford, Peter. “'Why Do They Hate Us?'” The Christian Science Monitor. 27 September 2001. 16 November 2008. < http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0927/p1s1-wogi.html>.
Ghazali, Abdus. “American Muslims Seven Years after 9/11” OpedNews. 11 September 2008. 16 November 2008. < http://www.opednews.com/articles/American-Muslims-seven-yea-by-Abdus-Sattar-Ghaza-080911-29.html >.
Holy Quran. 2006.“Interfaith Leaders Call 'Obsession' DVD Hateful" DetroitNews. 15 October 2008. 3 December 2008 .
“‘ Islamophobia Is Felt 5 Years After 9/11." ABC News. 9 September 2006. 8 November 2008
< http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2413473&page=1>. "Islamophobia Is Part of the ‘War on Terror’." Socialist Worker Online. 14 October 2006. 8 November 2008
.
Musaji, Sheila. “Thank God Someone Is Listening to Us - Terrorism Is Not Jihad” TAM. 13 May 2008. 16 November2008.
Safi, Omid. “‘Who Put Hate in My Sunday Paper? " OmidSafi. 29 September 2008. 3 December 2008 .
“Unlearning Intolerance Confronting Islamophobia” UN Chronicle Online Edition. 16 November 2008.
< http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.Islam/>.
Young, Gayle. “Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western world” CNN. 14 April 1997. 16 November 2008. < http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.Islam/>.
Karima, December 2008
ABC News reports that Islamophobia has increased dramatically since the event of September 11th (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 1). Not only has fear and hatred against Muslims increased, but also harassment and physical abuse are significantly rising. Sarah Abdullah of Arab News reports that a Muslim woman, a mother of six young children, was brutally murdered in front of her toddler child while she was on her way to pick up her children from a local primary school (Abdullah, par. 2). The Socialist Worker online states that a man attacked veiled Muslim women in Blackburn, Britain, only due to their garments of faith (“Islamophobia Is Part,” par. 2). Furthermore, ABC News reports how racial profiling of Muslim people is constantly used on the governmental level such as police forces and airports. ABC News states, “Last month, almost five years since the attacks, two young Lebanese American men from Dearborn – Osama Abulhassan and Ali Houssaiky – were stopped by police in Marietta, Ohio” (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 8). The men were searched and the police found 10, 000 dollars cash and 20 mobile phones. The men told the police they were simply buying and reselling phones, a way to make extra money, however the police did not believe them. They were accused of having terrorist ties and put in jail. Although the terrorism accusations were later dropped the men still “face misdemeanor charges for falsification of information” (“Islamophobia Felt,” par. 15). In addition to similar, racially profiled charges against the Muslim community, airport security has dramatically increased their “random” checks of their passengers. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t one time where I wasn’t “randomly checked” at Western airports after the event of September 11. This also applies to all my family members and friends who have travelled by plane in the same time frame. It appears then, that such searches are not so “random” after all. Furthermore, we have to think again if we believe that these are the only problems. The media has played its cards well in promoting increased Islamophobia, by constantly portraying Muslims as terrorists and terrorists as Muslims. Having this in mind, Islamophobia has many causes. These shall be further discussed through the following questions:
1. What are the causes of Islamophobia?
2. What does the Islamic faith say about violence and terrorism?
3. How do the media play in the spread of Islamophobia?
The tragic event of September 11th shook the Western society as the two towers collapsed to ruins, resulting in almost three thousand innocent deaths. It also shook the Muslim world, as Muslims worldwide became witnesses to a gruesome act in the name of their faith. I remember when I first saw the tragedy on the evening news. I remember my mother crying for the innocents and their families. Later, I remember how many “Muslim” people were arrested and captured due to terrorism ties. I also remember how news papers filled their front pages with “wanted” terrorist for several months after the event of September 11th. I remember how people, reading their morning newspapers on the tube, would glance at me with angry looks making me feel ashamed as if the whole tragedy was purely my fault, though I knew, somewhere within my heart, that they had a good reason to dislike Muslims. After all, after the event of September 11th, Osama Bin Laden claimed credit for the tragedy through his several videos launched, adding several other threats and hate messages to the Western society. The United States, in response, claimed “war on terror” and moved into Afghanistan to liberate its nation from such a “radical Islamic regime”. Not long after, this war on terror became “war of terror” where several innocent people were murdered, homes were bombed to ruins, families were shattered, orphan numbers increased, wives became widows, mothers lost sons and sons lost mothers and yet, many others were captured, tortured, raped and sent to Guantanamo Bay under titles such as “terrorist”, “terrorist helper” or “potential terrorist”. Many of these were young teenagers, some only fifteen years old, who are still living behind bars at Guantanamo Bay, a modern day concentration camp whose inmates have no voice or legal representation; a place where all international human rights are violated in the name of US “liberation” and “war on terrorism”.
Journalist Abdus Ghazali of OpedNews writes, “Seven years after 9/11, Muslims in America remained at the receiving end with assault on their civil rights and their faith in the name of ‘war on terror.’ Muslims are the prime targets of the post 9/11 reconfiguration of American laws, policies, and priorities. Defending civil rights remains the single most important challenge before the seven million-strong American Muslim community as the consequences of the 9/11 tragic terrorist attacks continue to unfold seven years after the ghastly tragedy. The government initiatives have reshaped public attitudes about racial profiling and created a harsh backlash against the Muslim community. At the same time Muslims and Islam remain a popular past time for the US media and some prominent religious and political leaders who never miss any opportunity to attack Muslims and their faith in the name of extremism. Unfortunately, in the post-9/11 America, Islamophobia is not only more widespread but more mainstream and respectable” (Ghazali, par. 1). Ghazali illustrates through his article how common and accepted Islamophobia is, and how this phobia is institutionally supported through government laws and actions. However, though the event of September 11 itself was a critical cause to the increase of Islamophobia, the event also triggered a longer series of other causes that together seem to further increase Islamophobia.
The US retaliation against Afghanistan and its “radical Islamic regime” was interpreted by the Eastern society as an attack on Islam, as the war on terror seemed to kill an increasing number of innocent Muslims, thereby causing more deaths and more terror. For a longer period in history, Muslims worldwide, especially in the East, have felt hopelessness as their countries’ political leaders bred injustice. A critical example is the creation of the Israeli State, an event that not only expelled many Palestinians from their lands and homes but also created hatred on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Extreme forms of retaliation were used, such as bombs, suicide killings and imprisonment. Though the hatred seems to boil on both sides on the Israeli-Palestinian lands, the mainstream global, Muslim community seems to despair upon seeing how Israel can legally murder in the name of “war on Palestinian terror”, while the West silently watches, and sometimes approves. Ford of CSMonitor reports, “From one end of the region to the other, the perception is that Israel can get away with murder - literally - and that Washington will turn a blind eye. Clearly, the US and Israel have compelling reasons for their actions. But little that US diplomats have done in recent years to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians has persuaded Arabs that the US is a fair-minded and equitable judge of Middle Eastern affairs. Over the past year, Arab TV stations have broadcast countless pictures of Israeli soldiers shooting at Palestinian youths, Israeli tanks ploughing into Palestinian homes, Israeli helicopters rocketing Palestinian streets. And they know that the US sends more than $3 billion a year in military and economic aid to Israel” (Ford, par. 18). It seems then that the differing perspectives of the Palestinian-Israeli issue on the Western and Eastern sides create a strong dislike, if not hatred against the Western society, especially the US, which most likely is another cause of Islamophobia, as hatred on one side usually breeds hatred on the opposing sides.
Furthermore, Islam is generally speaking the fastest growing religion worldwide. Young of CNN writes, “The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years” (Young, par. 7). Therefore, the Western perception of Islam’s association with Bin Laden and terrorism and the thought of Islam as one of the world’s fastest growing religions may in fact seem frightening, creating another cause of increased Islamophobia.
In addition to the above causes of Islamophobia, the UN Chronicle Online Edition reports that there are several myths about Islam that are often portrayed in the media, as was discussed during the Unlearning Intolerance seminar in December 2004 at UN Headquarters in New York. Mr. Nasr, one of the attendants at the UN seminar discussed the causes of Islamophobia. Nasr said that there are four main causes of Islamophobia. The first cause is that “Islam was a monolithic whole—a presumption, often found in the Western media, that disregarded the various schools of Islamic thought” (“Unlearning Intolerance,” par. 4). He then continued, “Another illusion was that Islam wanted to rule over the Western world.” Further arguing, he said, “The Islamic world was not anti-Western in itself because, according to surveys, some 70 per cent of adolescents in Islamic countries were interested in studying in the West. Similarly, it was false to believe that Islam was against modernity or democracy, as it affirmed the inherent dignity of each human being.” He further emphasized that Islam was a religion of tolerance by stating that, “Over the centuries, Islamic countries had frequently shown more understanding towards non-Muslims—accommodating Jews or Christians fleeing persecution—than Muslims generally had received in their societies” (par. 4).
It seems that people’s unawareness of the Islamic religion creates a vacuum of knowledge, where people can store their own presumptions about Islam, often according to what they have seen or read in the media. One good example of such assumption is that Islam is a primitive, anti-modern, violence-loving, women-oppressing, child-molesting, and infidel-killing religion held by some people in our society. All these assumptions are directly linked to the media’s portray of Muslims, events such as September 11th and the great lack of knowledge about the Islamic religion. Therefore, while some of the causes of Islamophobia can be blamed by so-called “Muslims” due to their spread of hatred against the West, in addition to their false ideologies about the Islamic faith, it is important to remember that most Islamophobes don’t know much about Islam except from what they have absorbed through the media. Hence, it would be a good idea to see what the Islamic faith and its teaching has to say about Islamophobic causes such as suicide killings, women oppression and terrorism.
Speaking of violence and terrorism, the Qur’an states, “If anyone slays a person
it would be as if he slew all people and if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people” (Qur'an 5:32). Therefore, when “Muslims” murder in the name of Islam, they are literally going against the very teaching of their faiths. A Muslim who does what is against his faith is no longer a Muslim, even if he claims he or she still is. The Arabic word “Muslim” is not a noun, but a verb. It literally means somebody who does “Islam”, where Islam is the submission to one God, the belief in his books: The Quran, the Bible and the Torah, the belief in His Angels, the belief in Heaven and Hell as well as the belief in goodness shown through actions of kindness to all of humanity, be they Muslims or not. Thus, when people such as Osama Bin Laden commit wrongdoing in the name of Islam, they are no longer Muslims, and the very claim of their commitment to Islam becomes nothing but a mere lie. Their “Muslim” identity becomes nothing but a title that seems to give them power in a Muslim community, often living in poverty stricken areas, many illiterates, under oppression from their governments that ultimately make these poor people believe anything that comes out from the mouths of what seems to be very religious people who are willing to fight against the “evil” West. The question we have to ask ourselves is what do these poor, often uneducated and illiterate people know about the Western society from what is displayed in their media and what comes out from so-called “Muslim” leaders and politicians in their countries? Another question we should ask ourselves is what does the West know about true Islam? It seems that there is a clash of knowledge on both sides, and we also have to remember that when people seem to be threatened, they will believe anything, be that a Muslim in the East or an Islamophobe in the West.
Many things that happen in the so-called “Islamic” countries seem to frighten the Western people. We also have to remember that these same things frighten true, Muslim people equally as much. Therefore, it is important for the Western society, including all Islamophobes, to remember that there is a grave difference between Islam and culture. For instance, women’s rights is a big issue that is discussed among Islamophobes. Many claim that the Islamic faith oppresses women, especially the Muslim veil that the women wear. What they do forget, is that this very veil is also a strong modesty symbol in their own religions such as Christianity and Judaism; where Virgin Mary is often portrayed with a veil and nuns and some Jewish women also cover in modesty. In addition, the veil is also used among people of other religions such as some of the Hindus who cover. The veil in itself may have different meanings to different people; however, in Islam it is a sign of Muslim identity, a statement of faith and a sign of modesty. The veil, in many cases is what liberates the women from being looked upon as a sexual object. Though I understand this might be a difficult idea to absorb for some people in the Western society, the Islamic female veil is there so people, in a man dominated world, can look at a female and see a human being, and an intelligent person with a heart and a mind and not a sexual property of pleasure.
Though many “Islamic” countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia seem to go extreme with the interpretation of the veil, it is only for political reasons and further control of females. What the world doesn’t realize, I believe, is that the veil is not strictly a piece of cloth on the head, but also a dress code. While some girls choose to cover their hair as well, since a girl’s hair is often her beauty and pride, others decide only to dress modestly but not cover their hair. The hair is not the issue but modesty is, in which Muslim girls would dress and act in ways that make a statement of their Islamic identity and personal sexuality. Personally, I wear the veil to stress my Muslim identity as well as make a statement that directs people’s gazes to my face, not my body. Therefore, when countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia make the long, dark full-body veil compulsory for every female they go against the Islamic faith as nowhere in the Quran does God command such a dress code. This dark veil used as a political oppression of Women in some Middle Eastern countries might scare the Western society and add to their Islamophobia. Thus, when they see a Muslim girl, living in the West yet covering with the veil, they feel as if the whole concept threatens their liberty and personal freedom. What they forget is that often the veil worn by Muslims living in the West is for the right reasons on the basis of their faiths, and not for political reasons of oppressions as found in some Eastern countries. The veil these girls and women wear is their very freedom, just like the absence of the veil is the non-Muslim’s freedom. Other examples of cultural issues that are linked to Islam are female circumcision, wife beating and infidel killing. These are all cultural, political and socioeconomic issues that are dealt with by masking them with the Islamic faith, in the hope that poor, illiterate and other Muslims in the Eastern society would agree upon and support. Islamophobes should therefore try to see things through different perspectives when dealing with such cultural issues and comparing them to the faith of Islam. One should stop and ask is this culture or is this Islam?
While true Muslims try to educate Islamophobes about the difference between Islam and other political, cultural and socioeconomic acts masked by Islam, the media, in order to sell large number of copies and increase profits aim at current issues that increase peoples fear and therefore create a reader interest that results in high sales. Some of the issues that have repeatedly been used in the media are terrorism and its links to Muslims and Islam in addition to issues such as “Jihad”, infidel killings and women oppression. Though some news papers do indeed highlight positive aspects of the Islamic faith, the “negative” aspects are far more represented in the media. The Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, consistently writes about negative aspects of Muslims, and selectively ignores positive aspects. Another Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang, does the same thing. The same applies to The Sun of Britain and Fox News of the United States.
Furthermore, there have been several anti-Islamic movies freely distributed to residents of the Western society. A good example is Obsession, an anti-Islamic movie that was distributed in millions to residents of the United States, especially in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia in order to increase Islamophobia and possibly affect the 2008 Presidential election. Omid Safi writes, “Something strange has been showing up inside the Sunday newspapers of millions of Americans the past few weeks. The material being included alongside comics, coupons, and advertisement for local stores is a controversial DVD called ‘Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West.’ Some 28 million copies of this DVD have been distributed for free so far in this fashion” (Safi, par. 1). Though many people don’t really take Obsession seriously, it does have some effect as it displays “Muslim” terrorism and cultural wrongdoing as a direct result of the Islamic faith, something that might result in more Islamophobes and/or increase the phobia in current Islamophobes. It also directly hurts the American and global Muslim community as it targets them directly with intense negativity.
The questions are, what should Muslims do to decrease Islamophobia and what should non-Muslims remember when viewing media? In order to decrease Islamophobia among our neighbour citizens of the world, all true Muslims should act according to their faiths, display good character and morals and do goodness to promote a better wellbeing in others. Muslims should collectively stand up and speak up whenever they have the chance to educate cultural “Muslims” and non-Muslims alike about the true face of Islam and its beauty. It is important for the global Muslim community to engage and interact in their countries of residence, engage in politics, educate themselves and their children, get good jobs, involve in charity and educate the rest of the world through good character. It is also important for fellow Muslims to reach out to their brothers and sisters in Eastern countries and correct the perceived corruptness of their faiths, and teach them the difference between oppressive political and cultural “Islam” versus true Islam. One way to combat this problem is by increasing literacy. A Muslim who can read is more likely to understand the true elements of Islam and be more critical toward political leaders such as Osama Bin Laden and the political crew of Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is important for Muslims to create a Muslim Consciousness on the global level that promote true Islam through actions of kindness and compassion, not hatred and violence. It is important for Muslims to be patient and engage in interfaith dialogues in order to answer people’s questions regarding Islam. It is equally important for Muslims to listen as much as they speak in order to find the critical elements of hatred in both Eastern and Western society, and collectively join their fellow citizens to decrease such hatred.
On the other hand, it is important for non-Muslims and Islamophobes to widen their perspectives of the world, be open-minded and engage with Muslims in order to increase their knowledge about the Muslim faith. How can one criticize something if one does not have enough knowledge about it? Some knowledge from the media is corrupt and skewed, and it is therefore important to read the media critically. Interfaith dialogues and seminars are excellent ways to gain knowledge about different faiths. All the interfaith seminars that I have attended were incredibly interesting, fun to attend as well as enlightening. Some of the anti-Muslim people who did attend past seminars did actually become good friends with some of the Muslim attendants and now stand up against Islamophobia. Others, who were not necessarily Islamophobes per se, but still had a very negative image of Islam due to the media, quickly changed their minds after attending interfaith seminars. Some told me that they were surprised that the Muslims who attended the seminars were so “different” than the Muslims in the media, which shows how the media through selective news can easily shape people’s perspective and create prejudice. Therefore, Islamophobes need to understand and remember that many, many Muslims are in fact standing on the same side. Muslims don’t want to see terrorism, they don’t want to see women oppression, and they don’t want to see “infidel killings”. Muslims simply don’t want to see injustice and hatred in their world. When society and the media segregate Muslims with prejudice, stereotyping and Islamophobia, they also create an atmosphere of minimum communication and understanding. Islamophobia, therefore, by regarding all Muslims as one entity, groups all true Muslims on one side, the political and cultural “Muslims” on the other and the rest of the Western society on the third side. In reality, all true Muslims, the Western Society and Islamophobes are all more or less on the same side, however, society’s great lack of knowledge and dialogue blinds the different parts making it seem as if Islam and the Western society are opposing poles.
Such interfaith dialogues are good in that they clear up misconceptions of Islam. Many times do we hear the Arabic words “Jihad” and “martyr” in the media and every time these words are directly linked to terrorism. Sheila Musaji of The American Muslim argues, “When the media or individuals use Arabic terms such as Jihad for acts of terrorism, or when they attach the word Islam in front of a word as in Islamo-fascism, Islamic terrorism, those words have an effect. They have an effect right here in America by linking the religion of Islam and terrorist acts in the mind of ordinary citizens. They have an effect on Muslims who are struggling to make clear to those Muslims who attempt to justify their crimes by some false interpretation of Islamic teachings that we do not accept their claims. They have an effect on Muslims worldwide who because of the use of language like Islamo-Fascist, have come to view the “war on terror” not as a war on al Qaeda, but as a war on Islam itself” (Musaji, par. 3). The Arabic word “Jihad” is used by both terrorists and the Western society to describe terrorism, while the word “Jihad” has a total different meaning in Arabic, and is a very cherished idea in the Islamic faith. It is not holy war, it is not terrorism, but rather the inner struggle of the self. An example of inner struggle could be refraining from verbally hurting others when overwhelmed by anger. A very angry person who keeps quiet and calm under pressure commits Jihad, as Jihad is an inner struggle of the self. Musaji further writes, “Criminal political movements like al-Qaeda who attempt to convince other Muslims that their actions are somehow “Islamic” attempt to call their terrorist acts Jihad, and when their false claims are echoed in the media in the West, that adds some legitimacy to their claims, at East for uneducated Muslims” (par. 4). This is very critical to true Muslims worldwide, as the idea of Jihad is corrupted by the tongues of political “Muslims” and create a whole new and negative image of Islam, instead of giving the true meaning of the word Jihad.
Furthermore, Musaji says, “Terrorism is not Jihad, it is Hirabah. A martyr is a person who dies in the cause of God, most certainly not someone who dies committing an act of terrorism” (par. 7). As martyrdom in Islam is indeed the very idea of “dying for the cause of God”, it is not by hurting others but in fact by doing something good while being selfless, thus “the cause of God”. For example, a person who accidently dies during the construction of a school or while helping others, becomes what in Islam is referred to as a “martyr”; a person who died while doing something good in a selfless manner, without the idea of personal gain. Therefore the term “for the cause of God” is used, which means that the person died while committing good actions. A good example of such a death could be a person who dies while trying to rescue another person from a fire or from drowning. Dying while doing selfless goodness is what makes a Muslim a “martyr”. However, Sheila argues, the Western society’s use of words such as martyr, Islam and Jihad brings negative light upon all Muslims, as it makes these Muslims seem like the culprits of terrorism, yet terrorism goes strictly against the very teachings of Islam. To support her claim, Musaji states, “Terrorism is not a legitimate part of Jihad according to traditional Islamic scholars, and mainstream Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims regularly attempt to point this out because they are aware that the only appeal to reason that might influence extremists who claim an Islamic justification in any way is the appeal to Islamic teachings. If you must use an Arabic word, use the correct word HIRABAH which is the word that would correspond to these acts of terrorism” (par. 8).
It is clear, from Musaji’s article, that mainstream and what I call true Muslims strongly disagree with terrorism, the corruption of their cherished faith and the usage of Arabic, religious terms such as Jihad. It is true that Islam itself does not promote violence, terrorism and oppression, but cultural and political “Muslims” continue to use faith as a power tool to win approval among other, often illiterate and poor Muslims. It is true that Islamophobia is increasing as media constantly portrays Muslims in negative ways and it is also true that mainstream, true Muslims worldwide suffer not only due to Islamophobia but also due to cultural and political “Muslims” who corrupt their faith. It is true that our fear, dislike and hatred has blinded some of us with arrogance and ignorance, but it is also true that it isn’t too late to reach a hand over to the other side, Muslims to Islamophobes and Islamophobes to Muslims, in order to unite in the battle for justice. Justice always comes with knowledge.
I once overheard a Middle Eastern boy reply to his mother’s negative remarks regarding some white people. He said, “They’re just white people, not monsters.” Perhaps it is time for the rest of our global society to open our minds and engage in dialogues, question each other and arrive at potential solutions if not friendship. Perhaps it is time for Muslims to stretch out their hands in friendship to all non-Muslims and Islamophobes and perhaps it is time for Islamophobes to accept the Muslims’ outstretched hands and say, “They’re just Muslims, not monsters.”
Works Cited
Abdullah, Sarah. “‘Wear a Hijab Day’, US Muslims’ response to Killing" Arab News. 8 November 2006. 8
November 2008 .
Ford, Peter. “'Why Do They Hate Us?'” The Christian Science Monitor. 27 September 2001. 16 November 2008. < http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0927/p1s1-wogi.html>.
Ghazali, Abdus. “American Muslims Seven Years after 9/11” OpedNews. 11 September 2008. 16 November 2008. < http://www.opednews.com/articles/American-Muslims-seven-yea-by-Abdus-Sattar-Ghaza-080911-29.html >.
Holy Quran. 2006.“Interfaith Leaders Call 'Obsession' DVD Hateful" DetroitNews. 15 October 2008. 3 December 2008 .
“‘ Islamophobia Is Felt 5 Years After 9/11." ABC News. 9 September 2006. 8 November 2008
< http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2413473&page=1>. "Islamophobia Is Part of the ‘War on Terror’." Socialist Worker Online. 14 October 2006. 8 November 2008
.
Musaji, Sheila. “Thank God Someone Is Listening to Us - Terrorism Is Not Jihad” TAM. 13 May 2008. 16 November2008.
Safi, Omid. “‘Who Put Hate in My Sunday Paper? " OmidSafi. 29 September 2008. 3 December 2008 .
“Unlearning Intolerance Confronting Islamophobia” UN Chronicle Online Edition. 16 November 2008.
< http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.Islam/>.
Young, Gayle. “Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western world” CNN. 14 April 1997. 16 November 2008. < http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.Islam/>.
Comment
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Comment by Thomas Reed on August 10, 2009 at 2:35pm
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Religious intolerance?
"The Islamic Republic of Pakistan remains one of the most glaring examples of religious intolerance in the world. General Parvez Musharraf’s military dictatorship, barely a year old, has done little to protect the civil and political rights of non-Muslim minorities. With the continuation of the Blasphemy Laws and the Hudood Ordinances, it is clear that governmental and legal structures elevate Sunni Islam over all other religious beliefs while sanctioning discrimination against non-Muslims and Shiite Muslims. Crimes against religious minorities such as Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis and Shiites persist while Sunni Muslim perpetrators face little or no consequences. " to continue "Iraq was added in December because of the ongoing, severe abuses against minorities and the government’s tolerance of the violence, particularly against Iraq’s “smallest and most vulnerable” religious minorities, including Chaldo Assyrians and other Christian groups.
The commission highlighted the dangerous situation in Pakistan, where Taliban extremists are strengthening and expanding its grip. The Taliban’s growth in strength coupled with continuous persecution of religious minorities caused the commission to renew its call for the State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC. “We are releasing this report at a critical time,” said Felice D. Gaer, chair of USCIRF, at the opening of the press conference on Friday."
Arab militias backed by Khartoum's radical Muslim regime raped more than 100 women in an attack in western Sudan.
Mukesh Kapila, the United Nations coordinator for Sudan, told the BBC 75 people were killed in the attack on the village of Tawila two weeks ago.
"All houses as well as a market and a health center were completely looted and the market burnt," he said. "Over 100 women were raped, six in front of their fathers who were later killed."
The attack, in which a further 150 women and 200 children were abducted, was one of many as village after village was razed by the militias, Kapila said.
Hundreds of thousands were ousted from their homes and more than 100,000 have fled across the border into Chad, where they have continued to face cross-border raids.
Kapila called for more international aid and urgent intervention to bring a ceasefire in the war.
Sudan's cleric-backed National Islamic Front regime in the Arab and Muslim north declared a jihad on the mostly Christian and animist south in 1989. Since 1983, an estimated 2 million people have died from war and related famine. About 5 million have become refugees.
As WorldNetDaily reported, Khartoum government forces also are alleged to have gang-raped women, sometimes forcing them to deny their Christian faith or be killed.
Kapila said he was in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994 but still is "totally shocked" at what is going on in Sudan.
"This is ethnic cleansing, this is the world's greatest humanitarian crisis, and I don't know why the world isn't doing more about it," he told BBC Radio 4's Today program.
The U.N. is concerned the fighting in western Sudan could undermine the peace talks as they come to an end.
Since late 1989, the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been in the grip of a vicious movement of Islamist extremist terrorism. As many as 36,289 [till December 30, 2003, Source: www.satp.org] lives have been lost in this conflict over nearly 14 years of a sub-conventional war that has inflicted enormous suffering on the people of the State, and transformed this confrontation between South Asia’s traditional rivals into a potential nuclear flashpoint.
1. On unbelievers is the curse of Allah. (The Cow: 161 )
2. Allah is an enemy to unbelievers. ( The Cow: 15 )
3. The worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the ungrateful, who will not believe. (Spoils of War: 55)
4. Oh ye who believe! the non-Muslims are unclean. (Repentance:17)
5. Oh ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers and let them find harshness in you. (Repentance: 123)
6. Oh believers, do not treat your fathers and mothers as your friends, if they prefer unbelief to belief, whosoever of you takes them for friends, they are evil-doers. (Repentance: 20) 7. Humiliate the non-Muslims to such an extent that they surrender and pay tribute. ( Repentance: 29 )
Islam may be a religion of peace, but from what I can see those who reside within that religion do nothing to change the face that is presented in the name of Allah.
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While these few (thousands) crimes do take place in the Western World (where billions live) we need to take a look at the Middle East, Asia, and South East Asia.
A Moslem woman walking by her self to a market place in Afghanistan was stoned to death, (common occurance) because she was not escorted by a man. In Pakistan a sixteen year old girl was gang raped because she was seen talking to a boy. Two young adults were stoned to death because they eloped. In the Sudan, women are raped, maimed and murdered each day. The death toll in the Sudan in the name of religious purity is over 9 million. This is all in the name of Islam.
I am not saying that intolerance is not a problem in the Western World, but in the world where Islam holds influence; torture, rape, murder and injustice go unpunished, unnoticed and un checked. The few crimes committed within the western world are unacceptable but they cannot and should not over shadow the millions of deaths committed in the name of Islam. I am not condoning the acts of those who commit crimes against Moslems within the western world. We have laws and those laws protect all peoples regardless of their race, creed or religious belief. People who commit such acts are criminals and should be punished to the full extent of the law. Yet, there is a reason why people hold an intolerance for Islam, because Islam has a total and fully committed intolerance for anything not of Islam. To hold out an olive branch, the other party must be willing to reach out and take it. As Western thinking people we always seek to find peace, harmony and tolerance within our society. And as a Moslem stated "It is your sense of justice that will be your downfall."
Simply put, we are two different peoples, totally incomparable and totally at opposite ends of the spectrum. Islam has made it clear that the Western World is not acceptable. They bring fear to the Western world because they threaten our way of life, peace, harmony and freedom. That fear leads to anger, distrust and violence. I would put out my hand to anyone that would take it, but I how can I offer my hand when I know that it can never be accepted? Islam by its teaching can not and will not accept any other religion other than Islam. And according to Islam any other religion is considered an enemy to Islam and must be destroyed. It is this very teaching that breeds mistrust, hatred and anger to everything Moslem. Regardless of how benign a Moslem appears or how passive his actions are within our society we can not help but perceive, real or imagined that at the very base of their belief any religion or way of life that is not Islam must be destroyed. And because of this belief any Moslem no matter how passive they may appear, holds the capacity to commit great violence without forewarning.
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