An Era of Islamophobia
Trigger Warning: Islamophobia, Mentions of Torture and Death
Have you ever walked into a room and had accusations and comments thrown at you? Have you ever felt menacing eyes on you? Have you ever feared going outside because of the scarf that hangs loosely around your head? It has become a common occurrence to be despised for one’s religion. It takes a certain amount of fear and ignorance to create that aversion towards Muslims. There is a term for this: Islamophobia. The act of discriminating against Muslims. To better understand this phenomenon, we need to learn about it.
The term Islamophobia was introduced first in 1991 through a 1991 Runnymede Trust Report. It is defined as "unfounded hostility towards Muslims, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims." In short, the discrimination and unfair treatment that Muslims face are all characterized by dislike, fear, and hatred towards people who identify as Muslim. You may have heard of xenophobia which essentially is the umbrella term for Islamophobia. Xenophobia is the dislike or prejudice against people from other countries.
What are some examples of Islamophobic activity? It can range from Hijab attacks to anti-Ismalic action taken against students. Amusingly, Islamaphobia is not limited to Muslim people only. Action is taken against other ethnic and religious minorities like Sikhs, Hindus and other South Asians. They all are lumped into one category and have to face discrimination from the public. Apart from that, many Muslim women have to face anti-Muslim sentiment while wearing their headscarf, hijab, or burka. On the contrary, Muslim men would face discrimination for having a beard, brown skin, or wearing “Asian clothes”. This behaviour is not only limited to adults but children as well. Many educational institutions pay close attention to students who look Muslim due to the policies implemented by the government.
The majority of Muslims live in the Asia-Pacific region, including countries from Turkey to Indonesia. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, but India is following close after. One may think that Islamophobia would be less prevalent in countries like these. Sadly, that is not the case. Let us take a closer look at India. Hinduism is the most common religion in India, while Islam would be the second-largest religion. Hence, there would be some degree of animosity between the two different religious groups.
Currently, India is being led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Data has shown that 90% of the religious hate crimes against Muslims occurred after Modi entered the office. What did Narendra Modi do to cause such upheaval? Looking back, we can see that BJP has been removing the rights of religious minorities in courts. They have administered the passage of the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act in which religion is the basis for granting citizenship. Discriminatory legal actions are not the only harassment that Muslims face, but police brutality and assault against them are unmistakable. On 31 May, a 21-year-old Muslim man in Haryana was tortured to death in the custody of Haryana's cybercrime police unit. Before the man's death, the killers used Anti-Muslim slurs against his family and threatened them if they filed a complaint against the police. It’s the perfect sign of the radicalization of police departments by Hindu nationalists.
Not to mention, many Muslim women face sexual harassment by the Delhi police. No action has been taken against the police units due to the law enforcement pressuring them by raiding law firms and destroying evidence. The country’s democracy could be transformed into a tyrannical Hindu theocracy. It is the radicalization of the Hindu majority that intends to take over India completely.
“When law enforcement agencies become perpetrators of violence, it becomes an ominous case of abuse of authority and discrimination against caste and religious minorities under the privilege of impunity – all backed by a silent state,” said a person who chooses to remain anonymous. Not to mention, the Hindu nationalist mobs roamed the streets burning and looting mosques, Muslim homes, shops, and businesses. Muslims who were roaming the streets were attacked and killed; many children lost their parents amid the raid.
The battle between Hindus and Muslims has worsened to the point where damage may be irreversible. The government continues to administer anti-Muslim laws—the criminal justice system may eventually work against all Muslims. Soon, the Muslims may have nowhere and no one to turn to for help. One should not face such unfair and discriminatory behaviour due to their religion. It is time we step up and put an end to this: http://chng.it/2SWny9JKGt.
Sources:
What Indian Police Throwing of Qureshi to Death Says about Police Brutality against Muslims
CoronaJihad is Only the Latest Manifestation: Islamophobia in India has Been Years in the Making
Eight ways that Islamophobia operates in everyday life
India: Hate crimes against Muslims and rising Islamophobia must be condemned
