‘’In China we’re being ethnically cleansed. In Yemen we’re being starved. In Palestine we’re being evicted out of our homes. In Kashmir we’re being burned alive. In France we’re extremists. In Afghanistan we’re being murdered. In the US and UK, we’re labelled so called terrorists.’’ 

No this is not some out of the world documentary but the day-to-day experience of the countless Muslims worldwide as they navigate through the complexities of life. Islamophobia has become so deeply rooted in certain cultures that it is no longer even a questionable offence. Rather it has become something of a celebration and honour to put these ‘offenders’ in their supposed places.

The origins of Islamophobia can be traced back to as far as the medieval period to the crusades when the Muslims were featured as barbarians and people rallied behind the Church to mete out their apparent ‘justice’. What started as a prejudice against Islam gathered momentum through the years to result in deep rooted resentment in the hearts of many, so much so that a Muslim woman stepping outside in hijab can be fined in France, solely because she is following her religious views. 

While this has been quite a prominent issue in the western secular countries, it has reached a level of horror of its own in the Asian sub-continent as well, with more-dare I say it-macabre measures taken to ‘contain’ the Muslims. You may ask why all this speculation, there’s surely something behind it, there’s no smoke without fire etc but the raw truth of the matter is this. Every religion ( and non-religion in the case of the Atheists) throughout history has always had a sect of people promoting extremism, via violent means. Be it the Christians involved in the Christchurch assassination, the Hindus with their violence in Kashmir, the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka by extremist Muslims or in the extremely current context, the Jews in Israel demolishing Gaza, there has always been a small minority in every community promoting violence in the name of religion. The point being, judging an entire community based on the activities of a select few is wrong on so many levels. 

Promoting hate against an entire race of men and women, solely based on the actions of a few is frankly laughable, in this so called highly developed world. History belittles Hitler for practicing antisemitism against the Jewish population,almost eradicating them, and yet when that same surviving population deems Palestinian children as ‘terrorists’ and mindlessly targets them day in and day out, these perpetrators are deemed ‘heroes’. The scariest thing being that these perpetrators are most of the time the leaders and politicians cloaked in the ostensible ideals of nationalism. 

This year during the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let us take a stand against all forms of prejudice and oppression, not just against the Muslims but against the innocent humans of all ethnicities. Let us promote peace and solidarity and stand together as one, with humanity being the linking factor between us.  Let us not have a repetition of the violence that tears asunder the very essence of what we stand for. And while we resolve to promote all of this, let us not forget. Let us not forget the fathers who were forced to carry their dead Childrens’ limbs in a bag, nor the mothers who refused to wash the blood of their children off their hands as that was the only part of them left. Let us not forget the children who became orphans overnight nor the newborn babies whose death certificates were printed even before their birth certificates. Let us not forget how the so-called promoters of peace voted ‘no’ to a ceasefire nor how the world leaders watched and did absolutely nothing. Let us not forget so we can remember. Not as a celebration of their pain but rather as silent attestation to their suffering because some things go far too deep to be forgotten and the scars remain despite all the external healing. In diversity there is beauty, and in the unification of diversity there is strength.

‘’Education is not memorizing that Hitler killed 6 million Jews. Education is understanding how millions of ordinary Germans were convinced that it was required. Education is learning to spot the signs of history repeating itself’’- Noam Chomsky

Written by: Rtr. Aaysha Sufran

Graphic design by: Rtr. Sathmi Dinanja