Since 9/11, the general attitudes of Americans toward the Muslim world have been reshaped immensely. For more than a decade, Islam followers are continued to be labeled by many as safety threats and perceived as scapegoats. As followed by Blumberg (2016), Muslims face a series of discriminatory issues, limiting their freedom of religion, speech, and sometimes even allocation. Specific examples include the prohibition of reading the Quran at school, difficulties when walking past security control, and customs at the airports (Blumberg, 2016). Apart from the daily prejudices, Islam converts become victims of so-called hate crimes, which include acts of vandalism, physical harassment, and even murder. Kishi (2017) stated that only in 2016, there were indicated 307 instances of anti-Muslim aggression. The rate grew by more than 10% in 2017, saving the tendency to increase in the nearest future, as well (Kishi, 2017). Therefore, unequal treatment and overt discrimination of Muslims should be urgently addressed at both local and national levels.
Effective strategies to combat Islamophobia can be borrowed both from American and European communities. For instance, as followed by Easat-Daas (2019), to minimize anti-Muslim sentiments, German authorities create videos featuring Islam followers of different backgrounds, ages, and professions, who share their narratives. Such practice allows residents to see Muslims from a different perspective and ruin the formed stereotypes. More also added about the tradition held in the Southern states of the US to build relationships with the local Muslim community by organizing an open Hawo’s dinner, connecting people of all religions (as cited in “5 things your congregation can do to stop Islamophobia,” 2016). Acknowledging the act of vandalism as a hate crime is another step to protecting the American Muslim community. Not only does it recognizes the bias-motivated violence behind the felony but also allows for a penalty amplification.
References
- Blumberg, A. (2016). How being Muslim in America has changed since 9/11. Web.
- Easat-Daas, A. (2019). How to tackle Islamophobia – The best strategies from around Europe. Web.
- 5 things your congregation can do to stop Islamophobia.(2016). Web.
- Kishi, K. (2017). Assaults against Muslims in U.S. surpass 2001 level. Web.