- Islamophobia
- September 7, 2010
- 7 minutes read
Centre for Human Rights says Hatred against Muslims Sweeping West
The Sawaseya Centre for Human Rights and Countering Anti-Discrimination has recently issued a report titled "lost rights and a wasted dignity”. The report discussed the numerous issues concerning the Muslims in the West, including racial discriminations practiced against them, an expert’s opinion, discussion on the media’s role in spreading the hate and discrimination against the Muslims currently living abroad, and measures to confront obstacles and challenges that face the Muslims living
The study also asserts a set of recommendations assisting experts to address such a phenomenon offering practical solutions to uproot it.
"Western Muslims face unsuitable living conditions reaching alarming and unacceptable degrees where one third of the European and north-American Muslims are subjected to systemic racism. In fact according to reports prepared by the UN and the US departments a large proportion of those facing discrimination refrain from filing complaints to the security services since they are sceptical that anything will be done to help them
The report was keen to explore the relevance of its findings to experts and analysts interested in the circumstances of the European Muslims and to disclose the truth about the evident racism against EU Muslims, and to identify how best it can be solved by intensifying dialogue in an effort to bridge the gap and to correct the erroneous image of Islam observed by them.
The report also reviewed the negative role played by the Israeli media to distort the image of Islam and Muslims, by levelling unfounded racist accusations associating Islam with terrorism, describing Muslims and Islam as being reactionary, extremist, antagonistic, aggressive and backward.
The report noted that during the aftermath of September 11, media has increasingly been criticized for supporting negative stereotypes against Muslims, instigating hate attacks on Muslims and preventing them from attaining their rights. Vicious attacks against Muslims reached its climax in America after the US-Israeli Media launched a campaign against the proposal of the building of a mosque near Ground Zero calling for the prevention of the building of mosques elsewhere in the U.S. as they lamely claim may assist in the spreading of terrorism. Furthermore, a church in Florida, US, is reportedly planning to host an "International Burn a Quran Day" on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attack either.
The report also points to the most significant challenges currently facing Muslims in Europe and America, and ways which we can overcome differences, and confront the continued anti-Muslim racism abuse by facilitating dialogue and peaceful coexistence for maintaining security and stability.
The report concludes that indeed there is evident racism and discriminatory practices exercised from time to time against Islam and Muslims in the West in general. In fact, abusive practices have a negative impact on the society’s security, stability, religious freedom of European Muslims sfor greater efforts to achieve reconciliation and reject all forms of Western racism, xenophobia and intolerance and it can be achieved only through the following.
1 – It is a must to reconsider racist behaviours and to implement stricter sanctions against the perpetrators, warning employers to stop racism against Muslims.
2 – European countries must share the desire in seeking safe and peaceful coexistence in multicultural communities.
3 – Integrate Western Europe’s Muslims into Western society and protect them from all forms of discrimination.
4 – Ensuring the free exercising of worship, where the EU must stop discrimination against Muslims and regularly call for tolerance and dialogue, by EU citizens and media and addressing the legitimate handling of Muslims’ illegal migration.
5 – Western countries should seek to open doors for constructive interfaith dialogue with Muslim communities allowing them to perform their religious rituals.
6 – EU Governments, political institutions and non-governmental organizations have always stressed that Muslims are part and parcel of modern Western society and they will not leave under any reason.
7 – Make known the efforts of Western Europe’s Muslims and their leading roles in modernizing Western societies. There must be an update of prominent Muslim researchers and scholars who have enriched Western civilization with studies and have been instrumental with a significant impact in the spread of European renaissance.
8 – Muslims must work on finding the means to innovate and make changes in their life to be consistent with European lifestyle without straying from Islam’s beliefs
9 – To enhance the confidence of minorities in the authorities, as well as the need to develop a legal defence system which is not only applied theoretically but also practically favouring racism victims.
10 – Muslims must be granted the same protection by the laws enjoyed by other persons or groups.