Islamophobia's Unprecedented Rise (Essay Sample)

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Islamophobia’s Unprecedented Rise
Executive Summary
Islamophobia is the illogical and inexplicable fear of Muslims and anything connected to Islam due to their relations to terrorism. Stereotyping Muslims negatively and their marginalizing them socially, civically, and politically. It has become a common and accepted but wrong concept that Muslims are terrorism. The issue of islamophobia has taken an unprecedented rise, the reoccurrence of terrorist activities, bombings, and terror threats and terrorists groups using Islam as an excuse for their brutal and inhumane killings to Islam has gone ahead and vindicated the islamophobics. Islamophobia as a term was allegedly coined in the 1990s by the Muslim brotherhood, in an effort to portray themselves as victims in a war of ideologies with the West while others tend to believe it evolved out of grassroots situation faced by Muslims in the London borough in the 1980s. islamophobia began decades ago when the rise in terrorist activities took hold, but it rose to new levels after the tragic bombings of September 11 2001. A couple of factors cause Islamophobia; misinformation is one of the major causes of islamophobia, people against Islam are willing to follow or to base their hostilities on the little information they have on Islam or Muslims. Another cause of islamophobia is the growing trend of terror groups like ISIS basing their brutal actions on the verses in the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. The deep-rooted wave of propaganda in the West that characterizes Muslims as inferior, primitive, and violent beings is also one of the causes of islamophobia. The effects of islamophobia occur everywhere; discrimination of Muslim children in school is common in islamophobic countries, discrimination in job allocation, and discrimination in service provision, it promotes cultural isolationism. It is not easy combating islamophobia but a few things can be done to hinder its rise and improve relations between Muslims and non-Muslims; they include; counselling, this will provide Muslims with an ideal way to islamophobics, many Muslims especially those living in the West are deeply affected by the islamphobics, and can use psychological help. Introduction to an in-depth study of Islam in our schools will give many people an insight on how Islam works and whether it warrants such stereotyping, governments should show more support to Muslims in their respective countries, they should banish discrimination of Muslims, condemn the discriminators and supports acts that are honourable towards Muslims.
Situation Brief
* The issue of islamophobia has deep roots; historically the West has dominated Muslims directly or indirectly. Resentment fed by the on-going conflicts in the Middle East and the atrocities committed to Muslims throughout the past few decades like treatment of Muslims by the former Yugoslavia.
* The reaction to such events can be almost personal affront, the reactions are based on the thought there is a campaign against Muslims, while however not understanding most of these conflicts mistaken for an Islamic backlash against the West are mostly political reactions, reactions due to disagreements on specific policies.
* Islamophobia is a deeply personal issue for Muslims, and their reactions to islamophobia can have lasting implications on Global peace and harmony. The resentment and sense of injustice felt should not be underestimated, reestablishment of trust among Muslims and non-Muslims should be our main priority, and otherwise discrimination will continue to taint innocent lives.
Policy recommendations
Islamophobia is a long-term problem, it has been around for a considerable amount of years, according to different sources, the term was first heard or first printed in 1925 that the first usage was in France by Etienne Dinet and Slima Ben Ibrahim, when they wrote, "accès de délire islamophobe”.Writing about the Prophet Mohammed. Fuelled by the atrocities committed by terrorism armed with Islamic propaganda, the term continued to gain popularity through the 1970s and 1980s; terrorist activities like 1972 killings of the Israel Olympic squad dubbed "the Munich massacre”, and the 1989 Paris synagogue bombings. Battle-hardened terrorists, citing the Quran as their inspirations, carried out this horrendous crime and many others. This association with the Quran connects all Muslims with the activities of the terrorists. The horrible cases of murderous dictators like Saddam Hussein did not help their course, negativity revolved around Islam and it carried forward and began an all blown discrimination. The turning point of islamophobia and what made islamophobia infamous as it is today; the 9/11 bombings, morning hours of September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers took control of four commercial airliners headed for California and used them as weapons of destruction. The acts of this day reaped outraged and dismay among people, the Muslims faced backlash from every part of the world, that day marked the permanent establishment of islamophobia. CITATION Ach14 \l 2057 (Achmad, 2014)
Causes of Islamophobia
* Misinformation is one cause of islamophobia, many islamophobics do not have enough knowledge pertaining Islam, Muslims must describe their faith with moderation and patience, show that the Islamic faith is modern, democratic and logic, enlightened, progressive, opposes terror and commands love, unity and peace. Westerners in particular are one sided, their knowledge on the acts of the Muslim religion is low; they are not willing to learn due to their perceived stereotyping of the Muslim religion. CITATION DrM06 \l 2057 (Sway, 2006)
* Terror groups associating themselves with the Muslim religion are cropping out every day, is said about them but they are the leading causes of islamophobia, these illegal, criminal groups are committing unfathomable atrocities, they are killing, displacing and torturing people, recruiting child soldiers, raping and generally causing havoc. These terror groups claim to follow guidelines of the Quran, hence everything associated with Islam is perceived to involve violence and inhumane acts. Terror groups like ISIS are establishing Islamic Caliphates through violence and quoting the Quran as they kill and maim people, acts like this will always be condemned and with them the stereotyping of Muslims as killers. CITATION DrM06 \l 2057 (Sway, 2006)
* Since the age of colonialism the West has not held Muslims in high regard, they seem inferior and primitive; this line of thought promotes a sense of injustice and unfairness. Muslims are and have always been looked down upon since colonialism days, this notion has been carried forward to this days, this creates islamophobia, children have grown up knowing Islam is a violent and wicked religion and this is what they grow up believing. CITATION Mur \l 2057 (Hussain)
* 9/11; the tragic terror attacks of September 11 2001, changed the landscape for Muslims in Western countries and all over the world in general. The attack orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden based their attacks on Islam teachings. The amount of people who died that was enormous, this lead to outrage towards Muslims by the whole world and immortalised Islamophobia.
* The Islam religion is believed to antagonistic and strict, the rules pertaining to Islam are harsh and unruly in contrast to other religion which are less strict. This causes stigmatisation towards the Muslim.
Effects of Islamophobia
* Children be discriminated when they go to school they are discriminated for being Muslims, the other children mock them, they are insulted and bullied. The discrimination of Muslim children affects their studies and paints a picture of injustice on their conscience they feel like they are not accepted, and this becomes a motivating factor when these terrors groups recruit fighters. CITATION Ach14 \l 2057 (Achmad, 2014)
* Cultural isolation is also another effect of this islamophobia, Muslims ...