Today I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend shortly after 9/11. I told him I just didn't understand why the Muslims hate America, and he told me that those terrorists don't represent him or all other Muslims.
In the 13 years since that very sad day, I've learned a lot more about Muslims and the difference between an Islamic extremist, moderates, and peaceful Muslims. There is a gradient of beliefs in the Islamic religion, just like those of Christianity. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and not all terrorists are Muslims. In fact, we can look at our American soil and see more damage done by non-Muslims than the collective damage of September 11th, 2001. Think about all the death and destruction of the Civil War, or acts like the Oklahoma city bombing.
Does America, as a whole, have Islamophobia?
For Americans who've had the pleasure to know various religious followers, it is clear that the majority of Muslims living in America do not condone IS (the Islamic State, or ISIS, or ISIL, depending on which person or media outlet is using the term for the Islamic extremists trying to take control of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern areas). So no, America isn't fearful of all Muslims, but misinformation, ignorance, and lack of education have created a growing number of those who have real hatred for every Muslims.
A really good, open, and honest debate happened on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher between he and his guests, including Sam Harris and Ben Affleck. If you haven't read, seen, or learned of this debate, you can view it below (keep in mind, it's an HBO show and therefore it is not suitable for younger audiences).
Sam Harris discusses Liberals and Islamophobia. Once the term was used, the true heat of the discussion came to a boiling point. Sam Harris said:
"We have been sold this meme of Islamophobia, where every criticism of the doctrine of Islam is conflated with bigotry towards Muslims as people. It's intellectually ridiculous..."Ben Affleck's face then turned a shade of red and replied:
"Hold on. Are you the person who understands the officially codified doctrine of Islam?"Affleck then makes a point to say that Islamophobia is a form of racism, and is appalled when Harris says that "Islam is the mother-load of bad ideas." Another guest, Nicholas Kristof points out that the majority of those fighting against the radical Islamists are also Muslims, so to assume all of Islam is a bad idea is bigotry itself.
Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee (and a very interesting man to watch in political news, as he is a very level-headed Republican), tries to recap the issue at hand while the debate continues. What is really happening is that the loudest voices being heard out of the religion of Islam are the jihadists and extremists. This is the biggest problem, and those loud voices are leading to fear and hatred.
And then, a female Muslim spoke up.
Using only her first name, Eiynah wrote an open letter to Ben Affleck. Eiynah was "born and raised in Islam," and after seeing the Maher/Affleck/Harris debate, she had more than a handful of poignant statements that not only need to be read by Affleck, but by all Americans. Here are just a few of her comments:"Your heart was in the right place … it was lovely of you to step up and defend ‘my people’. What you really did … was silence a conversation that never gets started."
"Noble liberals like yourself always stand up for the misrepresented Muslims and stand against the Islamophobes, which is great but who stands in my corner and for the others who feel oppressed by the religion? Every time we raise our voices, one of us is killed or threatened."
"What you did by screaming ‘racist!’ was shut down a conversation that many of us have been waiting to have. You helped those who wish to deny there are issues, deny them."
"We must distinguish critiquing an ideology from being hateful towards a group of people."
So, how do Americans, or anyone for that matter, learn to critique an ideology without hate?
Hate is powerful. I see it every time media outlets report on Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). They're extremists, unaffiliated with the Baptist community, and have even been seen stomping on the American Flag. They hate gay people, and from what I have gathered, they appear to hate anyone outside of their own bigoted bubble. WBC is just a sample of the amount of hate in this country. Hate and fear go hand-in-hand, and you tend to fear what you don't understand. They key to reversing hate is to become educated on the topic you fear the most.
Some people hate Liberals because they don't understand the ideology. I personally don't hate the GOP, but I do not agree with their ideology as a whole. I understand them, so I easily critique them without hate. This is what Americans need to do with the Muslim community.
Yes, there is a real problem with female oppression in the Islamic ideology. We can't deny that. For those who live in areas controlled by Islamic law, there are severe and deadly punishments for not following the law. Even a slight misstep could result in death. This is abhorrent to most Americans, and Eiynah is right - there are real issues to be addressed. However, it is not up to America or Christians, or Jews, or Catholics, or anyone to fight the ideology of Islam, as the reverse is the same. Changes in any religion must come from the religious leaders. For example, when the Pope speaks and discusses ideology, it goes through a phase of acceptance (and sometimes rejection) and that trickles down to those attending Mass. So perhaps Islam needs more women like Eiynah, and most certainly, more girls like Malala Yousafzai to speak up against their oppressors.
What can be done to reverse the growth of Islamophobia?
First, you must understand where the fear comes from. However, this could take a week's worth of history lessons to fully explain. I believe the root in understanding the Muslim world, and the religion of Islam, is to examine why Muslims in the middle east are dubbed as anti-American. The fact of the matter is that America dirtied their hands by interfering with Muslim nations in the 1950's. Why did America stick their nose where they shouldn't have? Oil.
America's dependency upon oil was a spark for many conflicts to follow. Through a series of events like the Iran Hostage Crisis and Operation Desert Storm (also referred to as the Persian Gulf War), more anger towards America grew in the Muslim nations that were not affluent and religiously diverse like some of our Arab allies.
Then enters Osama bin Laden. He was once a part of the "Freedom Fighters," funded by the American C.I.A., fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Bin Laden's hatred for America came to fruition during the Persian Gulf War. From his teachings as a child, and through his bitterness towards Saudi Arabia and America, Al Qaeda was formed under the protection of the Taliban in Afghanistan. He then declared a holy war against the United States. Only a few short years later was he able to execute his plan with Al Qaeda jihadists on September 11th, 2001.
When you skim the top of the American - Islam relationship, it isn't hard to understand why there is hatred and fear from both points of view. This isn't even reaching further under the surface where the fight for control of the Holy Land exists...
When America declared war on terror under President George W. Bush, Iraq was invaded and Saddam Hussein was taken out because he supported terrorism (a simple, brief explanation). Afghanistan was invaded to find Bin Laden. Bin Laden was eventually taken out under President Barack Obama. America attempted to do their part to establish government in Iraq after Hussein's reign was over, but even today, it simply hasn't stuck.
This lack of leadership, and a group of jihadists ready to continue the fight against America eventually lead to what we are facing today, the terror of ISIS. These extreme jihadists are what we should fear, not the faith they claim to follow.
Are radicals or extremists of any faith right in their ideology? As long as your beliefs do not directly cause others grief or pain, then you have the right to practice your beliefs. Unfortunately, there are religious sects in everywhere causing grief and pain to others. They are sometimes loud voices, large groups, religious ideologist looking for political power, and act as cults or secret societies. They come in all races and many religions. However, it is fundamentally wrong and immoral to assume that one extremist (or a group of them) speak for anyone but themselves. Americans shouldn't assume all Muslims follow the Islamic State and their terrorism. Just like most Christians do not agree with WBC.
What can I do to help?
First of all, fully educate yourself if you don't understand the whole picture. This applies to everything, not just the topic at hand. This doesn't mean turning on just any media outlet, or watching You Tube videos. Go to resources with non-biased, factual data, some of which are linked above (and I hope you go back and read the content on those pages).
Secondly, speak up! You have a voice, and you should use it. Once you have the facts, use them to combat those who speak like Islamophobes. Just because someone is Muslim does not mean they hate America. I would assume most Muslims living here actually love America because they have the freedom of speech, freedom to practice their religion, and the freedom to be who they are, just like you. They may have a different ideology, but that is what makes America wonderful. Our melting pot of diversity is what created America, and is still building who we are today.
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