Standing Against Islamophobia: A Global Call for Unity
International Day to Combat Islamophobia is a day dedicated to spreading awareness against hatred and violence against muslims. This day, we also remember muslims who lost their lives due to Islamophobic-related violence. Created by the UN in 2022, the world body has called for increased international efforts to advance a culture of peace and tolerance at all levels, founded on respect for human rights and the diversity of religions and beliefs. It has condemned attacks on places of worship and any acts of violence against people based on their faith or beliefs.
The date is symbolic as it commemorates mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, which claimed the lives of 51 Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers.
During Ramadan, some muslim faithful observe the holy month with fear of prejudice, exclusion, or violence. This is due to the rise of anti-Muslim prejudice, from open violence against people and places of worship to racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity. This stems from intolerance, attacks on religious communities, and beliefs.
Islamophobia poses a significant risk to the safety and well-being of muslim children and government, and everyone should join hands to build a world where every child, regardless of their faith, feels safe from hate and violence.
What is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is the fear, prejudice, and hatred of Muslims, both online and offline, that leads to provocation, hostility, and intolerance by threatening, harassing, abusing, and intimidating Muslims and non-Muslims. It targets the symbols and indicators of being a Muslim and is driven by institutional, ideological, political, and religious hostility that extends into structural and cultural racism.
This concept highlights the connection between institutionalized Islamophobia and its expressions, which are a result of the person’s perceived Muslim identity becoming more visible. Thus, Islamophobia is a type of racism in which the Islamic faith, customs, and culture are viewed as a threat to Western values. Islamophobia does not only affect muslims but also non-Muslims due to misconceptions about their nationality, race, or ethnicity.
This violence comes in the form of online and offline hate speech and violence melted against muslim faithfuls. To combat this, the UN Secretary-General introduced the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action against Hate Speech in 2019 as a response to the concerning global trend of an increase in hate speech. Following the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it underlined that states should provide a secure and supportive environment for engagement and discussion.
Ways to curb Islamophobia
- Social media companies should take responsibility by ensuring that hateful content that promotes Islamophobia is removed and that those responsible for spreading hate are held accountable.
- Education is key for an inclusive society. The government should organise seminars to enlighten the masses and ensure every child has access to quality education to create a world where people of all beliefs can coexist peacefully and have mutual respect for each other’s religion.
- Children should be taught the importance of religious tolerance in school.
The government and various human rights groups continue to create awareness on the importance of religious tolerance. They should uphold religious freedom, promote social cohesion, and put laws in place to stop hate speech and have perpetrators punished to serve as deterrents to others. We should all unite to build a world where children are free from fear and discrimination based on their religion. Today is a call to action to defend equality, human rights, and dignity and create an inclusive society where people of all faiths can coexist peacefully.
