Is Islamophobia A Real Threat to the World?
Is it possible to live in a world where is no one suspects or fears one another? The answer is yes, and it’s a dream for everyone in the world should be able to see and feel. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all live in harmony – to go out and say Hi without the fear of being killed?
Of course, it would!
However, you’ve got those minutes few individuals and groups who’d rather spread hate and violence. They’d rather bring terrorism, fear and mistrust to the world to keep everybody paranoid of the neighbor next door or the foreign national living in the apartment below.
On March 15, the world learned that 52 innocent Muslims had been killed while worshiping in two different mosques in New Zealand. It left the world stunned – something they could not believe would happen unless it was in the movies. It was no movie, and those 52 innocent civilians were dead all because of an extremist terrorist set against Islam and refugees living in his country.
There are two questions being asked:
· Why did the terrorist commit this heinous act?
· Did he hate Muslims and other nationalities so much?
The answer to both questions is yes. His actions to commit these murders are a reflection of the hatred he has inside himself. He became a terrorist who cannot accept that everybody is different. He killed people without mercy and without any regards to their right to worship and their right to humanity. And, he did it without any respect to the country's laws.
The increase in violent acts and incitement of hate and inability to accept differences is at critical levels. Every day, we hear speeches against the approval of co-existence brought on by the hate of race, color, religion and other extreme rhetoric. The idea of not accepting each other is feeding the fuel extreme terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and others need to spread their message.
These groups feel weak and hopeless when they watch such an attack happened against Muslims. To them, the Western world and the Islamic governments are oppressing the Muslim world. To them, violence and fighting are the only solutions to attain what they need (power). What has really happened is that these terrorist groups are what has fueled the West’s Islamophobia against Muslims and Islam.
There are no winners here!
Islamophobia is an extremist movement and phenomenon that has grown out of fear of Islam, with people considering it a terrorist religion. The phenomenon was solidified even more after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and U.S. Pentagon. However, the violence and extremism of these acts are a representation of only the global terrorist groups – people who don’t know anything more than just violence, murder and destruction.
You cannot fight violence with violence or pit extremism against extremism and expect a positive outcome. Rather, what happens is ongoing wars, fear and anxiety gripping the world and destroy people’s lives. Nobody wants to go through more wars and destruction, especially considering the years of suffering that was inflicted during World War I and II. These wars left millions dead, and countries suffered huge economic losses and capabilities.
How to Create a World without Fear?
People need to see the two New Zealand mosque attacks as a wake-up call. Governments must take action against any extremist phenomenon that calls for discrimination and violence against a particular nation, race or religion.
Islamophobia is one of the most dangerous phenomena in the Western world, followed by white-ethnic intolerance. The Triton Foundation conducted a study in 2016 found that 85 percent of Muslims living in the U.S. think Islamophobia and the resulting hostility is the most dangerous phenomena occurring today. The feel the threat is even more prominent today than in years’ past.
82 percent of Muslims believe co-existence is the answer, and that working together to serve one nation is going to lead to their co-existence with other communities.
It’s imperative for the world to take a stand against extremism and face the rhetoric that fuels hatred and racism in society. It’s imperative to stop being so fearful and learn who benefits from it when we see Muslims, white men, black men and others. Terrorism isn’t a particular religion. Its extremism, violence and hatred destroy all societies and values.
Future generations want us to live in peace and harmony; to co-exist with one another. The media and schools have a great responsibility to educate society and raise the awareness of each other’s differences if peace is to be had.