Table of contentsIntroduction: understanding the term IslamophobiaPotential causes of the rise of IslamophobiaThe consequences of the September 11 attacksThe role of Western mediaExploitation of people's fear by politicians and governmentsExtremismLack of education and ignoranceAnti-Muslim protests-Muslim sentimentIsrael's dehumanization of PalestiniansPersecution of the Rohingya peopleChina's crackdown on Uighur MuslimsTrump's Muslim banChristchurch shooting in New ZealandAttacks on Muslims in IndiaIncreased intimidation of children Muslims at schoolVandalization of religious institutesPsychological effects of Islamophobia on MuslimsMeasures to counter IslamophobiaBe resilientUse the media in a positive wayDemand government protection and accountability Equate Islamophobia with anti-Semitism and racism Promote tolerance Encourage interfaith interactions Conclusions References Every society, every community, every nation in the world has its own social, political and cultural ills that it must face, but these ills are usually at a negligible or least manageable level. The challenges that Muslim society faces today are far more dangerous and complex. This is why Muslims, despite being the second largest religious group in the world, are caught in a downward spiral and are generally left behind in any kind of progress, unlike other nations. The 21st century is a crucial period for Muslims where they must face various external aggressions as well as incredibly difficult internal conflicts and challenges. In this report, we will focus specifically on the global problem of the rapid growth of anti-Muslim sentiments and intolerance against Muslims, which is proving to be a great risk to the well-being of the world's Muslims. entire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIntroduction: Understanding the Term IslamophobiaWe will start by explaining what the word Islamophobia means. Islamophobia, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "intense dislike or fear of Islam, especially as a political force, hostility or prejudice toward Muslims." Dictionary.com defines Islamophobia as “hatred or fear of Muslims or their politics or culture.” ". It is an exaggerated fear, contempt and antagonistic mood towards Islam and Muslims that is propagated through negative generalizations leading to bias, oppression, minimization and exclusion of Muslims. of social, political and urban life. In Islamophobia and its consequences on young people Ingrid Ramberg writes: “Whether it takes the form of daily forms of racism and discrimination or more violent forms, Islamophobia is a violation. human rights and a threat to social cohesion” Relentless Islamophobia is one of the biggest challenges facing Muslims around the world right now. , cultural, political and economic The image of Muslims and Islam is tarnished and Muslims are ridiculed. Muslims face discrimination in all walks of life, which is why they are left behind in. the race. Potential causes of the rise in Islamophobia Islam is the second largest religion in the world with more than 1.5 billion followers, but it is woefully misunderstood. by non-Muslims who, although they know little or nothingnothing about this religion or its followers, are quick to label it a “religion of extremists” or a “radical religion” that encourages violence against non-believers. This is a terrible misconception that leads to Muslims being subjected to constant scrutiny, horribly discriminated against and hated by non-Muslims around the world. This growing hatred is a serious problem that endangers the lives of more than 1.5 billion Muslims. We will first examine the factors that lead to the emergence of Islam and Muslims as common enemies of the West. civilization: the consequences of the September 11 attacks Since the dawn of time, non-believers considered Muslims as an enemy, but the incident of September 11 added fuel to the fire. The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center in New York, played a critical role in changing the world's perception of Muslims. Westerners were quick to blame Muslims and label them as terrorists and a threat to world peace. September 11 caused the formation of new negative images of Islam and Muslims in the brains of Westerners. It is a known fact that Islamophobia has become increasingly widespread and that Western recognition of Muslims has continued to plummet since 9/11. The event had such a lasting impact that even after 17 years, Muslim populations around the world continue to suffer the consequences and pay for crimes they did not commit. Role of Western Media When the media took on the role of informing people about Muslims and Islam, it succeeded in brainwashing people and creating more Islamophobia. The media has played a significant role in demonizing Muslims and portraying them as enemies of peace and Islam as a religion of violence and extremism by constantly linking them to the tragic events of 9/11. The media is also very biased when it comes to reporting on acts of terrorism. If a Muslim commits a crime, the entire religion and its followers are blamed, the media immediately starts shouting that Islam is a violent religion that encourages its followers to commit heinous crimes, whereas if the same act is committed by a non-Muslim. Muslim and white, the media will attempt to gain sympathy for the criminal by trying to portray him as a mentally troubled soul with a tragic past. MediaTenor surveyed 2.6 million Western news stories from 10 American, British and German media outlets and found that the inclusion of Islam in the media has been positive some of the time, if at all. The usual tone of inclusion, which has always been poor, has continued to be exacerbated in the decade since 9/11. According to a study conducted by Georgia State University, published in Justice Quarterly, "terrorist attacks by Muslims occur on average, 357 percent more media coverage than those committed by non-Muslims." » The exploitation of people's fear by politicians and governments. Islamophobia is not the natural consequence of horrible acts committed by terrible Muslims. It is also an open control apparatus designed to gain consent for terrible wars and votes. Politicians and others in power have openly used 9/11 to advance their own agendas. Politicians have successfully manipulated people into believing that Muslims are a violent group that disrupts world peace and order and must therefore be fought firmly. They used this same tool to justify theirintervention in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and other Muslim countries. The same anti-Muslim rhetoric has been used by them to gain support from people who have an irrational fear of Muslims taking over their country and imposing "Islamization" on them, despite Muslims being a minority in their country. . It is false to say that Islamophobia and extremism are two mutually reinforcing evils and that the two terms merge in their contempt for “the other”. Islamophobia rises and manifests itself in radicalism, the more Muslims organize against it and, conversely, the greater the Muslim opposition, the more Islamophobic inclinations intensify. The Islamophobia observed in the West and in Western media could lead some Muslims to become fanatics. Some may feel separated and alienated, leading them to reject their law-based and multisocial qualities. A large proportion of them acquire a strong sense of Muslim personality and strict adherence to conventional Islamic lessons. The amount of Muslims actually radical legislative issues are few, but Islamophobia can help swell their numbers. Brutal acts of terrorism committed by radical jihadist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda act as icing on the cake by further reinforcing Western beliefs that Muslims are nothing more than a violent group and violent. vicious group of people whose sole aim is to spread terrorism, even though the actions of these jihadist groups are not in accordance with the teachings of Islam and are condemned by both Muslims and Islam. Therefore, this vicious cycle of extremism and Islamophobia must be eradicated in order to restore world peace. Lack of education and ignorance A large number of anti-Muslim Westerners are very poorly informed about what Islam and Muslims really are. According to a study by the Public Religion Research Institute: 62% of non-Muslims have only occasionally or never spoken with Muslims, 27% say they know nothing about Islam and Muslims while 57% say they know something. A little. This means that their fear comes from the vastly exaggerated and misleading narrative that the media tells them. If they really took the time to educate themselves and understand what the true values ​​of Islam are, they would not share the opinions they currently hold. religious orders, or in countries where Muslims are a minority. This is a serious, life-changing issue for Muslims around the world. Some of the manifestations of anti-Muslim rhetoric are discussed below. After the September 11 attacks, Muslims were subjected to all kinds of hostility and violence, ranging from verbal aggression to physical violence, vandalism of their religious institutes and property, to more serious crimes such as forced violence. conversion, murder and placement of Muslims in concentration camps solely because they follow their religion. In the United States alone, 257 anti-Muslim incidents were reported in 2015, compared to 154 in 2014, an increase of 67 percent. In 2001, immediately after 9/11, 481 such incidents were reported. There has been a surge in hate crimes against Muslims in recent years, the most prominent of which include: Israel's dehumanization of Palestinians Palestinians have been victims of Israel's atrocities for some time. NOW. According to statistics, at least 9,000 Palestinians have been brutally killed by Israeli forces since 2000. According to figures provided by Defense of Children International, 2,000 childrenwere among the 9,000 Palestinians killed by armed forces, meaning that on average one Palestinian child has been killed every three days for 18 years. Since we all know that children are innocent beings incapable of harming others, their murder on such a scale makes it quite clear who the real perpetrator is. Persecution of the Rohingya people The Rohingya people were an ethnic minority in Myanmar who are Buddhist. majority country. The crisis that erupted in August 2017 resulted in the killing of 6,700 Rohingya, including at least 700 children under the age of 5. Women were raped and killed and at least 250 villages were collectively burned to the ground, forcing the remaining Rohingya to flee. to emigrate.China's crackdown on Uighur MuslimsIt has been reported that around 1 million Uighur Muslims are being detained in China's Xinjiang region. Muslims are forcibly sent to internment camps where they would be subjected to “re-education.” Muslims are under constant government surveillance, Islamic names, veil and beard are banned, Muslims are tortured, mentally and physically abused and forced to eat pork, drink alcohol and renounce their faith. This is large-scale ethnic cleansing that must be addressed immediately. Gay McDougall, a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said last month during a review of human rights in China: China is turning Xinjiang into "something which resembles a massive internment camp, shrouded in secrecy, a sort of lawless zone.” Other incidents fueled by Islamophobia include: “ban” which banned Muslims from 5 specific countries, namely Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, from entering the United States. This led to the separation of many families and put many refugees from the war-torn country at risk. Shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, a white man in his twenties opened fire on unsuspecting Muslims as they said their Friday prayers. As a result, more than 50 Muslims were killed in what has been described as the largest mass shooting in New Zealand history. The shooter showed no remorse and made a white power gesture as he was arraigned in court. Attacks on Muslims in India Muslims, who constitute 14% of India's total population, are constantly marginalized by pro-Hindu groups. According to the 104-page report, “Violent Cow Protection in India: Vigilante Groups Attack Minorities,” describes how, between May 2015 and December 2018, 44 people – including 36 Muslims – were killed due to the livestock trade or consumption. beef. Police frequently slowed charging attackers, while some BJP lawmakers freely legitimized the attacks. Increase in harassment of Muslim children at school. CAIR-California released a report analyzing the extent to which Islamophobia, or contempt for Islam and Muslims, manifests itself in schools through torment, separation and harassment. The California research of 621 public and private school students found that these young people regularly faced verbal ambushes, explicitly those referring to bombs or calling American Muslim students militants and terrorists. The survey also found that 55% of Muslim students had been tormented; 29% of students wearing hijabs experienced hostile touching or pulling on their hijab; and 19% of those questioned said they had been victims ofcyberbullying because of their religion. Vandalization of religious institutesReligious institutes such as mosques have become a common target of Islamophobes. In 2016, in the United States alone, 92 hate crimes were committed against mosques, primarily arson and vandalism. As a result, Muslims do not feel safe in their own places of worship which are considered sacred. Psychological Effects of Islamophobia on Muslims Unfortunately, comparing Muslims to fear-based oppressors has proven to be an irritating normality in American culture – and the results can be disturbing. The West constantly stereotypes Muslims as violent, aggressive, terrorists and criminals – this has undoubtedly disrupted the personality, identity and way of life of Muslims, mainly those living in Western countries. The underestimation and repression of Muslims has resulted in antagonistic mental side effects that also include fear, stress, anxiety, disconnection, death, desensitization, weakness, and isolation. Numerous studies have linked Muslim discrimination and disempowerment to depression. A recent report from the American Psychology Association found that 82 percent of Muslim Americans felt unsafe after the September 11 attacks, a sign of PTSD. Now more than ever, Muslims need to seek therapeutic treatment and guidance. Measures to combat Islamophobia Islamophobia is becoming increasingly normalized across the world. The problem must be addressed on a global level before it ruins the lives of other Muslims. Some of the solutions to cure this deadly disease (Islamophobia) are: Be resilient. Muslims around the world must remain strong, resolute and patient in the face of hostility from non-Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) was also exposed to such mistreatment. One of the many incidents occurred when he was praying near the Kaaba and Uqba-ibn-Abu-Mu'ayt threw the entrails of a camel on him. Abu Lahab's significant other, Um-e-Jamil, normally threw garbage in front of his driveway and planted thistles on the path to his house. Despite such horrible insults and hate crimes, he remained steadfast and patient. We must follow his example. It is said in the Quran: “Good deeds and bad deeds are not the same. Repel evil with good, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. But no one will succeed except those who endure courageously and are greatly favored by God. » Using media in a positive way Media is a powerful tool that can help shape the behavior and mentality of the masses. Speak freely and vocally in the mainstream press to promote the positive image of Islam and Muslims. Stand up when you hear derisive remarks or fear-based ideas being circulated about minorities, because hate speech incites violence. People must also call out the media for their partisan and bigoted coverage of crimes. Dalia Mogahed, research director at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, said: "If people are not aware of these biases, they are forced to believe that most terrorists are Muslims when, in fact, Right-wing extremists and white supremacists kill more Americans than anyone else. It is therefore necessary to take steps to hold the media accountable for spreading hate speech against Muslims, as discriminatory media coverage is one of the main causes of marginalization.