MADRID, Mar 13 (IPS) – Islamophobia is a ‘worry, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that results in provocation, hostility and intolerance by the use of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, each within the on-line and offline world.’
Consequently, suspicion, discrimination and ‘outright hatred’ in direction of Muslims have risen to “epidemic proportions.”
These are usually not the phrases of this satisfied secular journalist, however these of the UN Particular Rapporteur on freedom of faith or perception.
Actually, a current report launched forward of the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia (15 March), warns that, motivated by institutional, ideological, political and non secular hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.
This definition emphasises the hyperlink between institutional ranges of Islamophobia and manifestations of such attitudes, triggered by the visibility of the sufferer’s perceived Muslim identification.
A risk to Western values?
This method additionally interprets Islamophobia as a type of racism, whereby Islamic faith, custom and tradition are seen as a “risk” to “Western values.”
“Following the terrorist assaults of 11 September 2001 and different horrific acts of terrorism purportedly carried out within the identify of Islam, institutional suspicion of Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim has escalated to epidemic proportions.”
Widespread adverse representations of Islam
On the identical time, “widespread adverse representations of Islam, and dangerous stereotypes that depict Muslims and their beliefs and tradition as a risk have served to perpetuate, validate and normalise discrimination, hostility and violence in direction of Muslim people and communities.”
As well as, in States the place they’re within the minority, “Muslims typically expertise discrimination in accessing items and companies, to find employment and in schooling.”
In some States they’re denied citizenship or authorized immigration standing on account of xenophobic perceptions that Muslims characterize nationwide safety and terrorism threats. Muslim ladies are disproportionately focused in Islamophobic hate crimes, provides the United Nations.
Islamophobic ‘hate crimes’
Research present that the variety of Islamophobic hate crimes incessantly will increase following occasions past the management of most Muslims, together with terrorist assaults and anniversaries of such assaults.
“These set off occasions illustrate how Islamophobia could attribute collective duty to all Muslims for the actions of a really choose few, or feed upon inflammatory rhetoric.”
The UN says that many Governments have taken steps to fight Islamophobia by establishing anti-hate-crime laws and measures to forestall and prosecute hate crimes and by conducting public consciousness campaigns about Muslims and Islam designed to dispel adverse myths and misconceptions.
A decision…
The United Nations Normal Meeting adopted a decision sponsored by 60 Member-States of the Group of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which designated 15 March because the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia.
The decision stresses that “terrorism and violent extremism can not and shouldn’t be related to any faith, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group.”
It requires a world dialogue on the promotion of a tradition of tolerance and peace, based mostly on respect for human rights and for the variety of religions and beliefs.
Marking the primary Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia in 2021, UN Secretary-Normal António Guterres identified that “anti-Muslim bigotry is an element of a bigger pattern of a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and hate speech concentrating on weak populations together with Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities, in addition to others.”
… and a Plan
In response to the “alarming pattern” of rising hate speech all over the world, UN Secretary-Normal António Guterres launched the United Nations Technique and Plan of Motion on Hate Speech.
The Technique clearly states that hate speech incites violence and intolerance.
The devastating impact of hatred, it provides, is unfortunately nothing new. Nevertheless, its scale and impression are actually amplified by new communications applied sciences.
“Hate speech – together with on-line – has develop into one of the frequent methods of spreading divisive rhetoric on a world scale, threatening peace all over the world.”
The numbers
With an estimated whole of some 1.8 billion followers worldwide, Islam is the second most unfold perception after Christianism (2.2 billion).
Right here, it ought to be reminded that not all Arabs are Muslims, nor all Muslims are Arabs.
Actually, Arab nations are house to simply barely greater than 1 in 4 Muslims worldwide, whereas Asia –specifically South and Southeast Asia– accounts for greater than 60% of the world’s Muslims.
The biggest Muslim inhabitants in a single nation lives in Indonesia, which is house to 13% of all of the world’s Muslims. Pakistan (with 12%) is the second largest Muslim-majority nation, adopted by India (11%), and Bangladesh (10%).
Additionally the Arabs
Regardless of the above, there’s nonetheless a widespread notion mixing Muslims with Arabs, which extends the anti-Muslim hatred wave to all Arab or Arab-majority societies.
Regardless of the case is, current historical past reveals that a number of Muslim nations have fallen victims to wars, and navy occupation (Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen), whereas others are situations to stark instabilities (Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, simply to say some).
Racism in all places
No classes have been learnt from horrific crimes dedicated in opposition to believers. Keep in mind the Holocaust in opposition to the Jews?
The proof is that racism, “xenophobia and associated discrimination and intolerance exist in all societies, in all places. Racism harms not simply the lives of those that endure it, but additionally society as a complete,” acknowledged the UN chief.
“All of us lose in a society characterised by discrimination, division, mistrust, intolerance, and hate. The battle in opposition to racism is everybody’s battle…”
Sure, however is it… actually?
© Inter Press Service (2023) — All Rights ReservedAuthentic supply: Inter Press Service
