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Essay / Islamophobia and the West
Table of ContentsIntroductionStop Blaming MuslimsDemographics of British MuslimsProfessional DiscriminationPreventing the Teachings of IslamExtremismIslamic ExtremismIntroductionA phobia is basically an illogical fear of any situation, object, or class of objects. For years, a phobia commonly observed in the West has been Islamophobia. A specific type of fear, prejudice, hatred, stereotypes against Muslims and Islam leading to biased discrimination and repression of Muslims. The causes of Islamophobia among Western Muslims practicing Islam in Europe have a lifestyle different from theirs. This Muslim community can be easily recognized even from their attire. Muslim women wearing hijab, veil or any other traditional clothing, Muslim men who grow a beard, wear a Muslim cap on their head and go to mosques give a visible difference as they also ask for halal food and refuse clubs and brothels. Muslims are seen as a violent class in the West due to many incidents in the past. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Many controversies and fatwas play a vital role in shaping the image of Muslims as an extremist class. (Husain, 2014) Fatwas against Salman Rushdie for his Midnight's Children and Satanic Verses, because blasphemy against Islam has caused the West to view Muslims as intolerant fanatics. (The Satanic Verses Controversy) The Danish cartoon controversy has made the West believe that Muslims are humorless religious fanatics. Cartoons of Jesus were also drawn by Kurt Westergaard, but no such protest was seen by Christians. (Controversy over Muhammad caricatures in Jyllands-Posten) The reason for Islamophobia is not only jihadist but many other social problems, because many crimes are committed by Muslims there. Illegal immigrants include a majority of Muslims. High birth rates, anti-social behavior, poor education, and conservative cultural values also cause English to antagonize Muslims. (Rajaka) Western media also plays a role in promoting hatred against Muslims. Why is every terrorist called a MUSLIM TERRORIST or ISLAMIC MILITANT. Their claim to fight for the good of Islam is fallacious. An individual extremist is always associated with the entire Muslim community and this only happens in the case of Islam. (Munir, 2016). The British media has also played a significant role in promoting Islamophobia in Britain. A particularly misleading newspaper headline: “British mosques raise funds for terrorism”. The newspaper later clarified its erroneous statement by noting that "British mosques were not involved in any way" when the Independent Press Standard Organization (IPSO) ruled it wrong. A number of cases like this are seen every month. A misleading front-page headline should be corrected with a front-page apology of the same size, accompanied by a financial penalty. (Versi, 2016) 9/11 9/11 is a major cause of the rise of Islamophobia in the West. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York were attacked by planes. On September 11, on a clear day, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. There was a burning hole on the 80th floor of a110-story building. After 18 minutes, the second Boeing 767-United Airlines Flight 175 arrived and destroyed the building. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in this attack. (Templeton & Lumley, 2017) These attacks triggered a new phase of propaganda against Muslims and Islam. The terrorists who carried out these attacks were financed by Al-Qaeda and its leader was Osama bin Laden. Osama bin Laden himself claims that Al-Qaeda is responsible for the September 11 attacks. (Bergen, 2006) This attack triggered a new phase of violations against Muslims. This incident totally changed the lives of Muslims living in America. They were afraid to go out. They changed the way they dressed. They stopped going to mosques because some of them were burned by someone and Muslims did not feel safe. Many Muslims have reduced their social circle because of widespread fear among Muslims. (Ainslie, 2015) Incidents of hate crimes against Muslims increased after 9/11. According to the FBI (Federal Bureau Investigation), these incidents increased from 28 to 481. (Ser, 2016) Islamophobes The Islamophobe is a non-Muslim who knows more about Islam than he is supposed to know. Islamophobes are people who believe that Muslims who believe in Islam promote violence, terrorism, barbarism, crimes, persecution, oppression of women and injustice. They perceive Muslims as human beings filled with evil desires. They believe that Muslims are bound by the explanations and instructions of their prophet Muhammad and other pious ancestors. Muslims have fallacious concepts from inauthentic and unethical sources. And they do not consider authentic references on the same subject that come from their anti-Islamic political programs. These Islamophobes are totally against Muslims without knowing anything except considering them terrorists. They associate the bad acts of a few deviant Muslims with the entire religion of Islam. While ignoring illicit acts committed by followers of another religion (Nasr & Tair, 2016). The West attacks Islam Acts of violence in Europe committed by Muslims for political reasons are less than 2 percent. Yet the media describes it as “radical Islam” or “radicalized Muslims.” Muslims who refuse to drink and listen to music and who practice traditional values are considered a violent class by the West. Muslims saying "Inshallah" is seen as a red flag, while non-Muslims also say the same thing, meaning "God willing." (Nomani, 2013) The UK also attacks Muslims in many direct and indirect ways. Famous academies and officials say growing a beard, wearing a hijab or associating with those who believe in Islam qualifies as "potential terrorism." (Hooper, 2015) The U.S. government has undertaken surveillance of American Muslims from Muslim community leaders, mosques, and Muslim universities. They began surveillance under the title “Fighting Violent Extremists.” This CVE was also the subject of much criticism because it made Muslims a suspect community. It is said that American Muslims cannot express their radical political views, which is considered terrorism. European Muslims do not lead peaceful and secure lives. Muslims in France live in tension and anxiety. They have no sense of security. Stop blaming Muslims and increase discriminatory behavior. Muslims are not treated the same asother peoples of the West. After the 21st century, they are treated differently. A recent statement by Trump that Muslims should not be allowed to enter America may show his hatred towards Muslims. And this hatred results in discrimination. Discrimination, racism and prejudice are terms that can define the behavior of non-Muslims towards Muslims. A Muslim is seen as a terrorist in the West. Islam promotes violence more than other religions, this is the belief of almost all Westerners. Muslims have been called offensive names, singled out by airports. They are arrested by the police. Many Muslims have been mistreated, threatened and physically attacked. Young Muslim immigrants belonging to different ethical, linguistic and social standards, faced with this type of violent and illogical discrimination, suffer many emotional breakdowns. Wearing a headscarf is also very controversial in the West. The headscarf is considered oppressive. Many countries oppose the wearing of headscarves by women. The attitude of non-Muslims towards women wearing headscarves is even worse than that of other Muslims. In some German states, teachers were banned from wearing female headscarves in 2003 and this ban was lifted in 2015, believing it to be incompatible with religious freedom. (Burke, 2016)Demographics of British MuslimsThe Muslim population in Britain has increased significantly in recent years. This represents almost 55%, or 3.5 million people, of Britain, which has a population of 6.4 million. In the European Union, Muslims make up the third largest population in Britain, after France and Germany. (Kern, The Islamization of Britain in 2016, 2017) Next graph shows the division of Muslim households in Britain. The attitude of Muslims towards the British. The British Muslim community is becoming a nation within a nation. The attitude of Muslims towards the British is also not very good. Many British Muslims sympathize with suicide bombers and terrorism. They don't even report to the police if they see a member of the Muslim community associating with terrorists. Some British Muslims also avoid entering the homes of non-Muslims. (Kern, 2016) Pressure on European Muslims Anti-Muslim sentiment has been growing rapidly for years. Islam has become the least favorable religion of all. Mosques are targeted. Mosques targeted Muslims do not feel safe in mosques and some have started to avoid entering them. 78 attacks on mosques have been recorded this year. And this hatred was strengthened after the incidents of September 11. The individuals targeted. Muslim institutions are not the only ones to be targeted, Muslims themselves are not spared. Muslim individuals and communities face brutalism. Cases of murder of Muslims are easy to observe and they do not even benefit from justice like those of non-Muslims. In 2015, 174 cases of violence against Muslims were recorded. These included murders, physical assaults, threats against individuals and institutions, destruction of property and vandalism, bombings and shootings and many other cases. Professional discrimination As in all areas of life, Muslims face biased behavior. Career opportunities for Muslims are also limited in the West. A Muslim is less likely to get a job with the same qualifications and experience as a Muslim”.