Confronting Islamophobia

As the Muslim world reacts to offensive cartoons about Mohammed, the founder of Islam, people of good will seek to bring about greater understanding and an end to all forms of racism and discrimination on the basis of color, religion or ethnicity.

In 2002, the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) initiated The Unlearning Intolerance Series; Education for Tolerance and Understanding. The series offers opportunities to discuss how intolerance, wherever it exists and for whatever reason, can be “unlearned” through education, inclusion and example. The series responds to requests to have “dialogue among civilizations” and to develop the “culture of peace” The series is open to NGOs, Ambassadors, staff and civil society.

Islamophobia: The second in the series was a seminar to confront ISLAMOPHOBIA or fear of Muslims. Secretary General Kofi Annan opened the session by saying that it is sad to know we have a new word in our vocabulary, Islamophobia. The lessons of that seminar are still appropriate today.

The speakers included outstanding Islamic, Catholic and Jewish scholars, as well as UN representatives. The presentations were followed by an open discussion between the speakers and between the speakers and the audience. The following summarizes their comments. In sum, we are asked to proclaim the truth!

Though the pressures of living in multicultural societies are real, that does not justify demonization of the “other” and fear. Education about religion and traditions overcomes myths, fears and lies. Don’t allow Media to diverge from the truth. Terrorism should not be stereotyped as religious acts. Terrorism is an unacceptable distortion of religion. It is easy to learn intolerance, difficult to unlearn it.

A professor from Georgetown related that Anti-semitism used to include Anti-islam. Christians considered after Jesus, that Jews and Muslims were “false prophets.” Anti-Japanese sentiment after World War II was never considered Anti-Buddhism or Anti Shintoism. With the spread of colonialism, Islamophobia did not exist. Now it has returned. Why?

Two important reasons:

1. Islamic view Post-colonially, it wanted to be itself, to regain its lost identity. This led to fanaticism.
2. Western view: There was a need to have an “other.” The Soviet Union was that “other” for a time. Now the new “other” is Islam.

Other reasons: Palestine is a festering wound. Oppression breeds fanaticism. The Media focuses on extremists. Good people who can see the difference between fanaticism and faithful religious practice are not of interest to the Media. So hatred is stirred up, based on falsehood.

Catholic Scholar: There is no need for us to be afraid of Islam. We need to be afraid of ignorance. Tolerance requires a measure of self-confidence in the tolerator. Westerners fear Islam now because of Terrorism as Terrorism intended. It provokes an “us against them” stance. We instead must seek to know the truth. All the great religions need to look at themselves and correct what is wrong within them. This will help us to humbly see the good in the other and find ways to collaborate as children of the one God.

Some false presumptions and corrections were stated:

1. Islam is a homogenous, monolithic whole. No, there are diverse schools of Islamic thought.
2. Islam wants to dominate the West, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Persian Gulf. No, 18 year old Muslims want to study in the West - U.K. and USA
3. It is the enemy of Judaism and Christianity. Muslims had no conquest of the “New World” in 1492, nor did they have an Auschwitz. They have been more tolerant than other religions.
4. It is against modernism. No, it is against environmental destruction and exploitation. It is not against Democracy.

To arrive at the truth, we need to educate each other. There are honest scholars in the West as well as in the Muslim world. We need to bridge the gap of prejudice with truth. European civilization would not have arrived at where it is today without Muslim influence.

Facts: Less than 10% of Muslims are Arabs. The majority of Muslims are in Asia and Africa. There are 1 billion Muslims worldwide.

Positivophobia: A scholar from Cairo University said we need to stop using the words, Anti-semitism, Islamophobia and focus on compassion and reverence for each other. We need each other to make the whole of God’s children to live in peace. How can we forget that all the Muslim or Arab countries sided with the Allies against Germany in W.W. II.? Why do we speak of our Judeo-Christian heritage and leave out Islam? We are the three Abrahamic religions, the monotheistic religions of the world. We have important values in common. The Qur’an speaks of Jesus 27 times, of Moses 128 times and of Mohammed only 4 times.

Jewish Scholar: The only way to overcome prejudice of all kinds is to be honest and objective about the range of beliefs. There is deep debate in Islam itself and also within other religions and other religions who are looking at Islam. We need to be awake and see the horror around us. Religious leaders must teach the truth in order to overcome the falsehoods that lead to terrible suffering for all of us

Recommended Action: For detailed information about ISLAM religion, please see www.islam.about.com/od/basicbeliefs Books by Karen Armstrong: The Battle for God; Islam; A History of God. In order to be part of the solution, we are called to do what we can to heal these wounds. Reverence the “other” and pray for understanding.

Sister Bernadette Sullivan, SFP