Islamophobia: The Real Terror?
The growth of Islamophobia, or what used to be called anti-Muslim bigotry, can only be stopped by people standing up and asserting their rights.
By Syeda Sultana
With all the news about the increasing number of hate crimes, people have become wary of society and its changing habits. But do you ever wonder who are the people who deal with such instances behind the scenes — the ones who have to hear about every incident of Islamophobia?
I talked to Zienab Fahs, a director of safe spaces at the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CIAR-MI, who believes that Islamophobia is more than just hate crimes. It’s every security check, every school bullying incident, every legislative policy enacted to undermine Muslims, every opposition that prevents our practice and more.
According to Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-MI, Islamophobia wasn’t even a word until about four years ago. It used to be called “anti-Muslim bigotry” in the 1980s, and it has occurred for decades. However, due to triggers like 9/11, feelings and actions have started to grow more and more to the surface. Walid himself used to spread awareness on the streets about the rise of Islamophobia during 9/11, which led to his current career advocating for equal rights in a bigger organization.
Different Insights
Sept. 11 isn’t the only trigger that led to occurrences like hate crimes. After the sad incident of the twin towers, people have become more aware of Muslims and how they are perceived to be in the media. If a person with a beard and a turban was reported in a negative story in the media, people automatically stereotype and connect the dots to radical Islam or other atrocious perceptions without looking at his background or checking for false claims.
People have trust issues, but the government itself does too. According to a University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class article, called “The Chilling Effect of Government Surveillance Programs on the Use of the Internet by Muslim-Americans,” after 9/ll, the internet “became a target of government surveillance measures. In particular, the government developed and utilized several programs to monitor Internet usage and gather relevant electronic evidence about terrorist threats.” The article states that 11.6% of Muslims reported in a survey they had changed their living habits over the concern that the government was monitoring their activities.
Another trigger includes the 45th president of the United States Donald Trump. Fahs says during Trump’s presidential term, his presence made it possible for people to express their inner animosity, hatred and fake misconceptions about Muslims more openly. According to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, since Trump became president, the incidents of Islamophobia increased from one incident per month to 65 in less than a month in Michigan after the Nov. 8 election.
Media Amplifies this Issue
Instead of looking at someone for who they are, the mass media has manipulated people to believe anything and everything, despite the consequences. An administrator of Frontier International Academy who has worked for about 10 years developing young minds told me that because of the growth in media and advancements in technology, hate crimes are now more exposed and have become a rising issue. Although this person wasn’t comfortable sharing their identity, they don’t deny that there are still fine people in the world, despite those that generalize or stereotype a group.
The Solution
To fix the flaw in American culture that leads people to believe appearance is what defines you as a person, organizations like CAIR-MI work toward a goal to reeducate the system starting with the roots. They give diversity and sensitivity training to schools, law offices, corporate institutions, youth groups and private companies to show that people are more than their appearance. They also make sure to uplift our equal rights.
Fahs says having written rights means nothing if they are so easily stripped away by law enforcement and institutions that are supposed to be the ones to serve and protect its citizens regardless of race, sex, religion and sexuality. For her, Trump’s Muslim ban was eye-opening in all her years of being in her field. Although it is sad to even have organizations such as CAIR-MI fighting to uplift written rights in the first place, “it is better to be a part of the solution than to just sit back and complain,” Fahs says.
Like Fahs, Walid also went through a lot in the field of being an advocate for rights. Comparing the past and present, he said that being an advocate gave him more appreciation for his African ancestors who were Civil Rights activists.
“It is important for Muslims in America to be proud of being Muslim,” Walid says. “Being a good American means standing up for our rights and to practice our religion. It doesn’t mean to give up or to be accepted by the dominant society.”
