Experts Discuss Impact of Gaza War on Rise of Islamophobia
Hosted by the British Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the online event was held on Saturday as reports indicate a significant uptick in Islamophobic attacks and hate in several countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Addressing the webinar, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and a member of the Imams Council of Michigan, stated that research indicates an unprecedented increase in Islamophobic crimes in the West following October 7, 2023.
He highlighted that the rate of Islamophobic crimes in Michigan is higher than the national average, attributing this trend to the widespread hatred directed at Palestinians by politicians and the media.
Read More:
Additionally, Sandew Hira, an independent scholar and activist, described Islamophobia as a reflection of the West's fear of the spread of Islamic civilization as an alternative narrative.
He added, "The suppression of Muslim voices is more of a civilizational issue than a political one; it aims to prevent the development of ideas rooted in the Global South."
Read More:
Meanwhile, Anne Norton, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, also expressed concern about the rise in Islamophobic crimes in the West. "Not long ago, three pro-Palestinian students were attacked for wearing keffiyehs at the university, and a child was murdered in Chicago for the same reason," she reminded.
Throughout the webinar, the speakers discussed the various restrictions imposed on Muslims and their presence in the public sphere.
They also explored strategies for achieving Muslim civil rights and freedoms in societies that claim to respect the principles of liberal democracy.
Source: IRNA
