In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, stressing the need for concrete action in the face of growing hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims.
It is necessary to understand what is known as “Islamophobia”, a term that refers to prejudice, hatred and fear of Islam and Muslims. This term came into use in the English language in 1997, when a group of British philosophers called “Remind Triest” condemned sentiments of hatred, fear and tribal judgment against Islam and Muslims.
Islamophobia is a real and growing threat, and Muslims face various manifestations of Islamophobes and hate crimes, despite their increasing social and economic contributions around the world.
Anti-Islam fuels racism and xenophobia, and has become a major threat to democracy. Such hateful acts cannot be justified under the pretext of free speech. These acts violate fundamental rights and freedoms. Sacred values and symbols must be kept out of the reach of extremists and opportunists.
“Islamophobia” is a new word that consists of two parts: Islam and phobia, which in this case is a suffix that refers to the irrational fear of something, which exceeds the supposed real danger that it represents. Swedish comparative religion researcher Matthias Gardel defined the term thus: “The social production of fear and prejudice against Islam and Muslims. This includes acts designed to attack, discriminate or isolate people based on their perceived association with Islam and Muslims”.
There are millions of people who have never met a Muslim, but they have a wrong image of Islam and believe that Muslims are bloodthirsty to consolidate their fanatical beliefs, they cut off heads without blinking an eye, act like monsters, bomb here and there brutally and cause the death of civilians and innocents.
The negative image of Muslims promoted by many fake news in the world today gives people a superficial idea of Islam and Muslims. Although this image is far from the truth, it is sadly enough to generate fear.
The truth is that there is no point in criticizing people just because they are afraid. Nor can the origin of Islamophobia sustain that so many people have become victims of the fear industry. All people need is awareness and the absolute truth about Islam, its goals and perceptions, about Muslims and their tolerant faith and their ability to coexist with many cultures over time.
* Iman, member of Comipaz