Policy Options Brief To the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
TO: U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
FROM: Hajer Aitgrain, Ben Dimond, Olena Kushnir, Roberto Celestin
SUBJECT: Confronting Islamophobia: Towards Tolerance and Understanding
DATE: March 11, 2015
When a new word enters a language, it is sometimes the outcome of a scientific improvement or a distracting fad. But when the world is compelled to coin a new term to take account of increasingly widespread intolerance and prejudice, that is a sad reality and troubling maturation of our generation. Such is the case with Islamophobia. The word seems to have emerged in the late 1980s. However, it dates back centuries. Today, the weight of history and it scares has left many Muslims around the world feeling offended and misunderstood, and worried about the gradual diminution of their rights and even fearing for their physical safety.
This phenomenon has ancient roots. It started with the historic rise and spread of Islam to cover territories from Africa to Asia within a short time frame. Christians all over the world feared Islam both religiously and politically. Today the enigma of Islamophobia remains and many people afraid of Islam know very little about it. They see Muslims and Islam as the enemy.
In U.S immigrant communities, Muslims face challenges such as rejection, violence, unemployment and alienation (Sajid, 2005). It is becoming impossible for immigrants to integrate with ease into Western communities that are fueled with prejudice. In fact, surveys report that Muslims are among the most undesirable neighbors, following drug addicts and homosexuals (Gallup, n.d.). Muslims have been isolated and categorized as belonging to a culture that will not try to “fit in,” goes against Western values and is different in too many ways to integrate even if they were to make an effort. Furthermore, Islam has been labeled as a religion that is fueled by violence and oppression.
Islamophobia has led to much discrimination and many attacks on Muslims and Islam. Burning the Qur’an, banning the hijab and burqa, arson on Mosques, racial profiling, prohibiting the construction of Mosques with minarets, anti-Islamic subway-ads, political campaigns based on religious hatred and speeches delivered for the purpose of depicting Muslims as a threat are just several examples of Islamophobic discrimination. Many Sikhs have even been attacked simply because people assume they are Muslims because they wear turbans and often have long beards (Wagner, 2012); this shows the enormous extent of racial profiling and bigotry against people who are different. These are major examples and do not represent the petty acts of Islamophobia that happen every day just because someone is Muslim.
There are couple factors that must be taken in consideration to combat Islamophobia; education, combating terrorism and violence carried out on the name of Islam and of course laws and norms. Media on the other hand, should ensure a more balanced way to positively project Islam and making Muslim voices heard. There is no relation between Islam and terrorism. We should all agree that Islam should not be judged by the acts of extremists. There is a need also to unlearn the stereotypes that have become so entrenched in so many minds and so much of the media. Both Muslims and Non- Muslims are suffering from Islamophobia. In France, statistics show that Muslims feel aggressed at least once every three days and that mosques are vandalized every three weeks (Saunders, 2013). The Collective Against Islamophobia (CCIF) recorded 691 islamophobic act in 2013(an increase of 47% compared to 2012). All these Acts caused by Islamophobes give extremists thousand of reasons to go and hurt westerns by using violence to achieve political goals.
In many western countries, Muslim communities are mostly unfamiliar with the society’s culture and habits. Upholding integrity and national sovereignty is a two-way street. Immigrants should adapt to their new environment and societies must adjust too. Hosts and guest alike need to understand and respect each other’s expectations and duties. And they need together, where necessary, to fight against threats such as fanaticism and extremism.
Terrorism has sadly drawn unwelcome attention to Muslims. It is unfair to judge Islam by the acts of criminals and extremists who deliberately target and kill innocent civilians. The few give a bad name to the many, and this is unjust. Each one of us must condemn those who carry out such morally inexcusable acts, which no cause can justify. Muslims themselves, should speak their mind, as so many did following the 11 September attacks on the United States, as well as Charlie Hebdo Massacre in France, and show a commitment to isolate those who preach violence and to reveal that these are unacceptable misleading impressions of Islam. Indeed, it is important that solutions come from within Islam itself.
Islamophobia is a serious personal issue for Muslims, a matter of great significance to anyone concerned about upholding good values, and a question with implications for international harmony and peace. We should not undervalue the bitterness and sense of injustice felt by members of one of the world’s great religions, traditions and civilizations. And we must make the re-establishment of trust among people of different faiths and cultures our highest concern. Otherwise, Islamophobia will destroy many innocent souls, and fear with distrust might make it impossible to move ahead towards a bright future with successful international milieu filled with peace, security and development.
The message that we wish to convey is that by eliminating discrimination and confronting Islamophobia, the occurrence of another September 11 event will be much less likely. Thus, we wish you put justice in the hands of the majority instead of in the hands of the few, and we very humbly ask the USCMO to consider the policy options in this memorandum.
Policy Option 1: Education
It is impossible not to address this phenomenon through education. Education is hypothesized to reduce prejudice by (1) providing knowledge that may help refute ethnic stereotypes, and (2) increasing “the cognitive abilities necessary for a sophisticated analysis of problems in order to counterbalance the rigid simplifications inherent in most positive in-group and negative out-group attitudes”(Coenders and Scheepers 2003).
Stereotypes appearing toward Islam must be mitigated and reduced by the appropriate solutions. One of these solutions is through an integrated education on Islam to elementary school children. This solution became the main focus to abolish Islamophobia because the importance of Islamic education in general will widely introduce Islam to children who still do not understand Islam in depth.
How can schools promote tolerance and mutual respect, in today’s increasingly diverse, globalized world? We are calling Education professionals and policymakers from several countries and the United States to contribute eliminate this issue by Fashioning new ways to live together in an age of diversity which starts on the benches of schools, as UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stressed in New York, while speaking on education on human rights. “Through education, we can teach children not to hate from the very young age. Through education, we can raise tolerant leaders. Through education, we may establish a lasting culture of peace.”
Discussions will focus on “Addressing Islamophobia through “education”, a set of guidelines that we have prepared with our partners; the Islamic Circle of North America, a leading grassroots Muslim Organization and The Islamic Learning Foundation (ILF), an educational Islamic institution based in New York. This partnership aims sponsor bringing Islamic educators so they can help identify manifestations of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims in schools, and provides suggestions on how to prevent and respond to these situations.
Another form of education is the exchange of ideas and learning about tolerance by recognizing the importance of fostering conversations that explore the diverse and multidimensional facets of Islam. We are reaching to the Mohammed Said Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace who established the American University Islamic Lecture Series in August 2009. Entitled “Engaged Conversations: Perspectives on Islam and Contemporary Global Issues,” to help us organize:
1. A series of lectures around universities in America to help Americans with and without Islamic believes explore critical topics related to Islam and Muslims in a globalized world and features a diversity of speakers, both scholars and practitioners, from around the globe.
2. Create educational programs inside top universities for non-Muslims to explain the true teachings of Islam, not the twisted concepts shown on the news media portraying the wrong ideology of the terrorists. For example, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Foundation at Harvard University. The Islam in the West (IITW) program is an interfaculty initiative launched in 2003 with funds from the Office of the Provost at Harvard University. The Program’s mission is to enhance the knowledge on Muslim minorities in secular and democratic contexts in the West, assist undergraduate and graduate students from different schools and disciplines find guidance and resources, develop a collaborative group of Harvard faculty members from different disciplines with an interest in the subject, and to advance knowledge in an increasingly important area of research.
3. Collaborating with schools, colleges and universities around the globe, and the primary objectives of this project is: offering Scholarship and promoting exchange student programs to learn about the Islamic culture. Post-9/11 world, Islamophobia, or prejudice against Muslims or ethnic groups perceived to be Muslim, poses a dire threat to intercultural understanding between Islamic cultures and Western societies. One of the ways to combat Islamophobia is through academic and cultural immersion programs in Islamic countries where U.S. students can experience local cultures first-hand and partake in intercultural dialogues
Policy Option 2: Interfaith Outreach
Any outreach to combat Islamophobia must address religious, educational, cultural, and media dimensions. Religion is the primary difference between Muslims and non-Muslims, and we encourage the USCMO to consider a campaign of faith-based outreach. The outreach would come from the community level at individual Mosques, and would include:
● Charitable works, such as food and/or clothing drives, visiting with and assisting shut-ins, and community clean-up projects. It is vital that the outreach performed is visible and constructive, and that individuals take the opportunity to meet and talk with other members of the community face to face.
● Interfaith exchange, whereby religious leaders in the community from mosques, synagogues, churches, and other temples meet regularly to discuss social issues and organize community events.
● Interfaith prayer meetings, where community members of different religious backgrounds meet to discuss the similarities and differences of their individual faiths in an open and safe environment.
● Monthly invitation to worship, where members of the community are invited to attend the weekly service of another faith.
Successful examples of interfaith exchange can be seen recently in England where in November a British Muslim addressed an assembly of the Church of England on the subject of religious persecution in the Middle East and Europe (Al Arabiya News). The importance of these types of interactions cannot be overemphasized, as they are an important step in bridging the divide between the faiths.
We encourage the Muslim community to take these opportunities not only to teach others about the nature of Islam but to learn about other faiths and cultures as well. Faith based outreach is a key component in educating others about the true nature of Islam, and strengthening the bonds within communities.
Policy Option 3: Cultural and Personal Outreach For Understanding
As an important part of efforts to combat Islamophobia in the United States, it is necessary to raise greater awareness and understanding about the cultural diversity, lifestyles and worldviews of Muslims. Muslims and non-Muslims should collaborate on fostering the active presence of Muslims in American communities: through cultural festivals, exhibitions at local museums and galleries, workshops and lectures, readings and concerts, and other cultural and educational activities. Such programs can fill gaps and correct misunderstandings in Americans’ knowledge about their Muslim neighbors. It is essential to showcase the cultural diversity of Muslims from the Middle East and Iran, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Pakistan and India, Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and Turkey and Central Asia, in order to show that Muslims are not monolithic in their religious practices, traditions and culture.
Cultural Initiatives:
● Islamic Film Festivals: showcasing feature-length and short films from the Muslim world, as well as amateur films from a range of voices in Muslim-American communities.
● Islamic Art Exhibitions and Fairs: exhibitions displaying art works by Muslim artists from around the world, including local Muslim artists, and opportunities for the public to engage with the artists themselves. A specific idea is an exhibition of photos of Muslim-American citizens in the community, with descriptions of their family history and values.
● Muslim Musicians: public concerts (in traditional music venues but also in public parks and on street corners) featuring Muslim musicians performing the traditional music of their cultures as well as Muslim musicians performing a variety of popular American genres such as jazz, hip hop, blues (and maybe even Country music).
● Food Festivals: organizing festivals to celebrate the unique and delicious foods of various Islamic cultures around the world, including cooking demonstrations by prominent Muslim chefs, lectures on the development of certain traditional dishes and culinary traditions, and potluck-style community events where Muslims and non-Muslims socialize over homemade food from their countries of origins.
● Literary Events: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Pakistani literary festivals at various venues.
● Change through Comedy: promote Muslim-American comedians (like the popular stand-up comedians Aziz Ansari and Maz Jobrani (see Wright) for comedy tours at which they speak openly about Muslim lifestyles and culture, and to bring people together in fun settings.
Social Change Initiatives:
● Public schools and public employers (at least) should respect Muslim holidays as they do Christian and Jewish holidays. Mayor Bill di Blasio announced that NYC schools would not hold classes on two Muslim holidays in 2015-16 (see Grynbaum & Otterman).
● Increase support and funding for collaborative social impact projects between Muslims and others, such as charity fundraisers (walks, runs, cycling), human rights advocacy focusing on Muslim-majority countries (Syria, Nigeria, Sudan), environmental advocacy, economic development and microfinance initiatives. Collaboration on such universally worthwhile projects will foster cross-cultural solidarity, mutual learning and understanding.