IndexIntroduction: Understanding the Term IslamophobiaThe Potential Causes of the Spike in IslamophobiaThe Consequences of the 9/11 AttackThe Role of the Western MediaThe Exploitation of People's Fear by Politicians and GovernmentsExtremismLack of Education and ignoranceAnti-Muslim Demonstrations - Muslim Sentiment Israeli Dehumanization of Palestinians Persecution of Rohingya Chinese Repression of Uyghur Muslims Trump's Muslim Ban Church Shooting in Christchurch New Zealand Attacks on Muslims in India Increased Bullying in confrontations of Muslim children at school Vandalization of religious institutions Psychological effects of Islamophobia on Muslims Measures to counter Islamophobia Be resilient Use media positively Demand government protection and accountability Equate Islamophobia with anti-semitism and racism Promote tolerance Encourage interreligious interactions Conclusions References Every society, every community, every nation in the world has its own social, political and cultural evils with which it has to deal, however these evils are usually at a negligible level or less manageable level. The challenges that Muslim society faces today are much more dangerous and complex. This is why Muslims, despite being the second largest religious group in the world, are trapped in a downward spiral and are usually left behind in any kind of progress, unlike other countries. The 21st century is a crucial time for Muslims where they face various external assaults as well as internal conflicts and challenges that are unimaginably difficult to face. In this report we will focus specifically on the global issue 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 Muslims around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction: Understanding the Term Islamophobia We will first start by explaining what the word Islamophobia means. Islamophobia, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “the intense dislike or fear of Islam, especially as a political force, hostility or prejudice towards Muslims.” Dictionary.com defines Islamophobia as "hatred or fear of Muslims or their politics or culture." It is an exaggerated fear, contempt, and antagonistic atmosphere toward Islam and Muslims that is propagated through negative generalizations that lead to bias, to the oppression, minimization and exclusion of Muslims from social, political and urban life. In Islamophobia and its consequences on young people Ingrid Ramberg writes: "Whether it takes the form of everyday forms of racism and discrimination or more violent forms, Islamophobia is a violation of human rights and a threat to social cohesion." the world is facing right now. It is hindering their social, cultural, political and economic success. The image of Muslims and Islam is being tarnished and Muslims are being used as an object of ridicule. Muslims face discrimination in all fields of life, which is why they are left behind in the race. Potential causes of the rise of Islamophobia Islam is the second largest religion in the world with more than 1.5 billion followers, yet it is terribly misunderstood by non-Muslims who, despite knowing little or nothing about the religion and its followers , are quick to label it a “religion of extremists” or a “radical religion” that encourages violence against non-believers. It is a terrible misconception that Muslims are subjected toconstant scrutiny, to be horribly discriminated against and hated by the non-Muslims of the world. This growing hatred is a serious problem that has endangered the lives of more than 1.5 billion Muslims. We will first examine the factors leading to the emergence of Islam and Muslims as a common enemy of Western civilization: The consequences of the September 11 attack Since the beginning of time, non-believers considered Muslims an enemy, however the September 11 incident further added fuel to the fire. The terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States on September 11, 2001, which caused the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York, have played a major role in shaping the world's overall perception of Muslims. Westerners were quick to blame Muslims and label them terrorists and a threat to global peace. September 11th favored 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 the West's recognition of Muslims has continued to crumble after 9/11. The event had such a lasting impact that even after 17 years the world's Muslim population is still facing its consequences and paying 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 successfully managed to brainwash people and stir up further 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, consistently linking them to the tragic events of 9/11. The media is also highly biased when it comes to reporting acts of terrorism. If a Muslim commits a crime, the entire religion and its followers are blamed for it, the media immediately starts screaming that Islam is a violent religion that encourages its followers to commit heinous crimes, while if the same act is committed from a non-Muslim, white, Muslim, the media will try to garner sympathy for the criminal by trying to pass him off as a mentally disturbed soul with a tragic past. MediaTenor examined 2.6 million Western news stories from 10 American, British and German news outlets and found that the media's inclusion of Islam was occasionally, if never, positive. The normal tone of inclusion, which had always been poor, continued to exacerbate in the decade following 9/11. According to a study conducted by Georgia State University, published in Justice Quarterly, “Terrorist attacks committed by Muslims receive on average 357% 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 terrible Muslims doing terrible things. It is also an open control apparatus to produce consensus for terrible wars and votes. Politicians and other people in power have brazenly used 9/11 to advance their own agendas. Politicians have succeeded in manipulating people into thinking that Muslims are a violent group of people who are destroying the peace and order of the world and should therefore be dealt with forcefully. They used this same tool to justify their intervention 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 that Muslims will take control of their countries and impose “Islamization” on them,despite Muslims being a minority in their countries. It is wrong to say that Islamophobia and extremism are two mutually reinforcing evils and that the two terms are indistinguishable in their contempt for the other. Islamophobia grows and manifests itself in radicalism, the more Muslims oppose it and, vice versa, the more Muslim opposition intensifies, the more Islamophobic inclinations intensify. The Islamophobia seen in the West and in Western media can cause some Muslims to become fanatics. Some may feel segregated and estranged, prompting them to reject multisocial and law-based qualities. Most of them develop a solid feeling of Muslim personality and strict adherence to conventional Islamic lessons. The number of Muslims who effectively support radical legislative issues is small, but Islamophobia may help increase their numbers. The brutal acts of terrorism committed by radical jihadist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda act as a cherry on the cake to further solidify Westerners' belief that Muslims are nothing more than a violent and violent population. vicious group of people whose sole purpose is to spread terrorism, even though the actions of these jihadist groups do not conform to 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 highly misinformed about what Islam and Muslims really stand for. According to a study by the Public Religion Research Institute: 62% of non-Muslims have only occasionally or never spoken to Muslims, 27% say they know nothing about Islam and Muslims while 57% say to know little. This means that their fear stems from the vastly exaggerated and misleading narrative that the media feeds them. If they actually took the time out of their day to educate themselves and understand what the true values ​​of Islam are, they would not have the opinions they currently have. Manifestations of anti-Muslim sentiment Islamophobia is typically enriched by non-Muslim sociability. orders, or in nations where Muslims are a minority. It is a serious problem that is having life-changing effects on Muslims around the world. Some of the manifestations of anti-Muslim rhetoric will be discussed later. Following 9/11, Muslims were subjected to all types of hostility and violence ranging from verbal aggression, physical violence, vandalism of their religious institutions and property to more serious crimes such as forced conversion, assassination and imprisonment of Muslims in concentration camps solely for following their religion. In America alone, 257 anti-Muslim incidents were reported in 2015, up from 154 in 2014, a 67 percent increase. In 2001, immediately after 9/11, 481 such incidents were reported. In recent years there has been an increase in hate crimes against Muslims, the most notable being: Israel's dehumanization of Palestinians Palestinians have been victims of Israel's atrocities for quite some time Now. According to statistics at least 9000+ Palestinians have been brutally killed by Israeli forces since 2000. According to data provided by Defense of Children International, 2000 children were among the more than 9000 Palestinians killed by the armed forces, meaning that on average a Palestinian child has been killed every 3 days for the last 18 years. Since we all know that children are innocent beings incapable of inflicting harm on others, their murder on such a massive scale shows aIt's pretty clear who the real attacker is. Persecution of the Rohingya The Rohingya were an ethnic minority in Myanmar, which is a Buddhist community. 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 reduced to ashes, forcing the remaining Rohingya to migrate. China's crackdown on Uyghur Muslims It is reported that around 1 million Uyghur Muslims are detained in China's Xinjiang region. Muslims are forced into internment camps where they are said to be subjected to “re-education.” Muslims are under constant surveillance by the government, Islamic names, veils and beards 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 that China is turning Xinjiang into "something resembling a huge internment camp, shrouded in secret, a sort of rights-free zone". Some other incidents fueled by Islamophobia include: Trump's Muslim Ban In 2017, the Trump administration implemented a discriminatory and Islamophobic “ban” executive order that barred Muslims from 5 specific countries from entering the United States, namely namely Iran, Libya, Syria and Yemen. This has resulted in the separation of many families and the endangerment of many refugees from these war-torn countries in his twenties opened fire on unsuspecting Muslims offering Friday prayers. As a result, more than 50 Muslims were killed in what was described as the largest mass shooting in New Zealand history no remorse and made a white power gesture when he was taken to court. Attacks on Muslims in India Muslims who constitute 14% of India's total population are consistently marginalized by pro-Hindu groups. According to the 104-page report, “Violent Cow Protection in India: Vigilante Groups Attack Minorities,” it describes how between May 2015 and December 2018, 44 individuals – including 36 Muslims – were slaughtered due to cattle trade or consumption of beef. Police have often slowed reporting attackers, while some BJP MPs have freely legitimized the attacks. the school environment through torment, separation and bullying. Research conducted in California, involving 621 public and private school students, found that these young people routinely faced verbal ambushes, specifically ones that referenced bombs or called American Muslim students militants and terrorists. The survey also detailed that 55% of Muslim students had been harassed; 29% of students wearing hijabs experienced a hostile touching or pulling of their hijab; and 19% of respondents report having experienced cyberbullying because of their religion. Vandalization of Religious Institutions Religious institutions such as mosques have become a common target of Islamophobes. In 2016, 92 hate crimes were committed against mosques in the United States alone, mostly including arson and vandalism. This makes Muslims feel unsafe in their places of worship which they areconsidered sacred. Psychological Effects of Islamophobia on Muslims Unfortunately, comparing Muslims to fear-based oppressors has proven irritatingly normal in American culture – and the results can be disturbing. The West constantly stereotypes Muslims as violent, aggressive, terrorists and criminals: this has undoubtedly disturbed the personality, identity and lifestyle of Muslims, especially those living in Western countries. The underestimation and repression of Muslims has produced antagonistic mental side effects that also include fear, stress, anxiety, disconnection, numbness, desensitization, weakness and isolation. Many studies have linked discrimination and powerlessness among Muslims to depression. A recent report from the American Psychology Association found that 82% of Muslim Americans felt unsafe after 9/11 reporting post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, more than ever, Muslims need to seek therapeutic care and assistance. Measures to counter Islamophobia Islamophobia is becoming worryingly normalized across the world, the issue must be addressed globally before it ruins the lives of more Muslims. Some of the solutions to cure this deadly disease (Islamophobia) are: Be resilient Muslims around the world must remain strong, steadfast and patient in the face of hostility from non-Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) was also exposed to such mistreatment, one of the many incidents was when he was praying near the Kaaba and Uqba-ibn-Abu-Mu'ayt cast the courage of a surrendered camel on him. Abu Lahab's significant other, Um-e-Jamil, normally dumped garbage outside his entrance and placed thistles on the road to his house. Despite being subjected to such horrific insults and hate crimes, he remained steadfast and patient. We must follow his example. In the Quran it is said: “Good and bad deeds are not equal. Repel evil with good and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. But no one will achieve this except those who endure with fortitude and are greatly favored by God.” Using the media positively The media is a powerful tool that can help shape the behavior and mindset of the masses. Speak freely and loudly through the mainstream press to promote the positive image of Islam and Muslims. Stand up when you hear derisive speech or fear-motivated ideas being spread about minorities, as hate speech drives violence. People must also denounce the media for their biased and bigoted coverage of crimes. Dalia Mogahed, research director at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, said: “If people are unaware of these biases, they are bound to believe that most terrorists are Muslims when in reality right-wing extremists and supremacists Whites kill more Americans than anyone else. other group." Therefore, measures need to be taken to hold the media accountable for spreading hate stories against Muslims as discriminatory media coverage is a major cause of widespread marginalization of Muslims. Demand Government Protection and Accountability When key government pioneers spew anti-Muslim rhetoric and promote Islamophobic implementation, it instills much more contempt in people who might provoke brutality. Government and politicians should therefore be aware of what they say. People should speak out against biased government policies that are discriminatory against any group. All citizens must be treated as equals and the government must grant them.