Islamophobia

In today’s society, much of Islam is portrayed as a violent religion. Islamophobic sentiment fills the comment sections of CNN, Fox News and other media outlets. Writers like Rich Lowry and Eric Bolling use every opportunity to connect terrorist attacks and Islam. Todd Starnes of Fox News threw a tantrum when Duke University decided to play the adhan from the Duke church. In an opinions article, he quoted a Christian pastor on violence in the Quran. Bill Maher is well known for Islamophobic views. Gov. Bobby Jindal warns us of “no-go zones” and a Muslim invasion of America. Molly White, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, demanded in a Twitter post that the Muslims attending a Muslim Day rally in Austin should “renounce terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws.”

You can find Islamophobia almost everywhere in the media. Islam is linked to hatred, terror and violence. Fox News constantly complains about Obama’s failure to call terror attacks “Islamic terrorism” or “Jihadi terrorism.” Using “Islamic” as an adjective to describe attacks perpetuates the idea that all attacks fall under the aegis of Islam. Using “jihad” misconstrues the actual definition of jihad. In real Islam, jihad means “to struggle in the way of Allah;” it means striving to be a good Muslim. Jihad can be praying five times a day or shoveling snow to help a school. But according to the media, jihad is killing as many infidels as possible. No one uses “Christian” terrorism when describing the KKK. Members of the Klan burn crosses as a symbol of their “strong” faith in Jesus. The organization’s leaders are Protestant and openly talk about Protestant values. No one uses the term “Buddhist” to describe the violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Burma. The same should go for “Islamic.”

Muslims face discrimination in day-to-day life. Muslims and Arab looking people suffer through extensive screening at airports. Women who wear the hijab are harassed.

The media, just like the terrorists, uses Islam to explain terrorist attacks. It cites verses in the Quran that tell Muslims to kill every infidel. In reality, those attacks have no basis in Islam. The Quran clearly states that killing one person is like killing all humanity, and saving one person is like saving all of humanity. In essence, the Islamophobes are telling me, my family and the millions of peaceful Muslims that we’re practicing our religion incorrectly.

I’ve heard people say not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslim. Besides being factually wrong since “Muslim” terrorism only amounts for six percent of terrorist attacks, the statement once again draws a connection between Islam. By perpetuating these lies, Muslims are vilified. All across the country, mosques are attacked and vandalized. The mosque in my hometown still has burn marks from the time someone tried to firebomb it. A gun range in Arkansas has “reserved the right” to ban Muslims according to their names and looks. In an interview, the owner compared Muslims to the KKK and Nazis. In 2012, a woman pushed a man in front of a train because she thought the man looked like a Muslim. Sikhs are also attacked because their turbans make them look like “Muslims/terrorists.”

Besides these extreme examples of bigotry, Muslims face discrimination in day-to-day life. Muslims and Arab looking people suffer through extensive screening at airports. Women who wear the hijab are harassed. Just recently, in New York City, a policeman tore off the hijab of two teenagers. Muslim groups are under constant surveillance. In 7th grade, a bus driver asked me if my tenor sax case had a bomb in it.

Many states have passed or are trying to pass laws banning Islamic law. Those laws create new problems where there aren’t any. To lessen the bigotry of the law, the letter of the law says no foreign law will be used in American courts. Already foreign laws aren’t applicable in America if they go against our laws. There are many court cases that have set this precedent. And there are constitutional protections against state involvement in religious affairs, most notably the Establishment Clause. By passing laws banning Islamic law, the government furthers the idea that anything Islamic is incompatible with American society.

Muslims are treated much better in the US than they are in France or Germany. But Islamophobia is still a huge problem in America. Fox brings in many analysts who deny the existence of moderate Muslims. Members of Congress openly make Islamophobic comments. Islamophobia is caused by ignorance and indifference. The media has to do its part to curb anti-Islamic bigotry; it must not portray Islam as a religion that promotes violence.

If only Fox understood.