The media’s manipulation of anything related to Islam has led to the increased Islamophobia we are all too well aware of today. However, I feel like with our focus on how we are portrayed, we fail to acknowledge an important effect of the media’s narrative on Islam besides Islamophobia. Or maybe I’m alone in experiencing this … though I doubt it.
Following the Hebdo attacks, I read how Muslims in my city and other places were attacked, how some were even killed. Instead of worldwide condemnations and protests, there were ready made excuses; “a parking dispute, not a hate crime” was one, which anyone not blinded by prejudice would recognise as absolute rubbish. I read and listened to the commentaries on these attacks and the whole Hebdo situation – was it terrorism? Hate crime? Why? Who should’ve done what? What should Muslims do now? I read the hypocrisy and the plain inhumane views of infamous atheists. I despaired at the status of Muslims in the Western world and feared for myself and my family.
Alhamdulillah, apart from kids calling me names years ago I’d never felt targeted because of my background or religion. Despite this, after the Hebdo attacks I’d walk down the street and wonder what any and every non-Muslim thought of me. Did they think I’m a terrorist, that I condone the actions of ISIS? Do they hate me? What do they think?
Once a guy was walking too close to me, the rest of the path was empty and my mind started to ask silly questions like, “is he going to attack me?”, he was smoking too and I actually flinched as he walked past me because a part of me was convinced he’d throw the cigarette on my face. The other part of me knew how stupid I was being and how ridiculous my thoughts were.
These thoughts and feelings persisted even though I have friends who are non-Muslims and I worked with non-Muslims. My thought was it’s those who *don’t* know me who must think the worse of me. They must believe what they’re told about Islam and Muslims. They must hate me because they believe those lies. And that is the other effect of the media. The completion of the outsider created by the narrative of the extremist Muslim sold by the media. Not only should we be feared but we should fear too.
There’s no doubt that there are people who hate Muslims and people who are prepared to even kill Muslims because of their prejudice and hate. On a higher level, it’s hard to miss the discrimination and targeting of Muslims by the government especially with the new counter-terrorism and security bill. But it’s also very dangerous to think the average non-Muslim is more likely to hate us and harm us. I know from my personal experience that the exact opposite is true, so why should I question the motives of every stranger I pass? To answer my own question about what some random passerby thinks of me – I’m pretty sure the answer is not a lot! People are too consumed in their own lives to care about me, never mind think enough about me to decide I’m an awful person. It’s not healthy to think negatively of those around us especially when we’ve spent our whole lives living perfectly fine. Nor does it help break down barriers if we’re already assuming negatively of others. We cannot give in to the media’s insistence that we are hated by everyone.
On a related note, we cannot always be the victim either. When the story emerged that the Germanwings crash may have been deliberate, Muslims jumped to ask why the media didn’t call him a terrorist. I can tell you why – because there was no ideological or political aim in the supposed murder. *This time* the media was correct in not branding the co-pilot as a terrorist. But what we should’ve been asking was, “Is there solid evidence of this being true?”, “Why is mental health being blamed?” One in four people are affected by mental health problems, there would be a lot more dead people if that was truly the cause of such violence. We have a responsibility as Muslims to seek justice for every group therefore just like we shout, “Every Muslim is not a terrorist!” We must say, “Mental ill-health does not make you a murderer”.
We must not let our anger at the media get in the way of seeing the truth. Just because we quote Malcolm X doesn’t mean we’re insusceptible to the lies of the media.
Comments
A few thought provoking things mentioned in there.
I remember after 9/11 and after a few other attrocities, there was always the public resolve "to not let the terrorists win by changing and targeting other groups" which was then immediately forgotten and that exact same thing was carried out.
Its easy to be reactionary and hate in the face of percieved hate.
They think we hate them, we think they hate us. At some point some where someone decides it is reasonable to preempt the hostility from the other side and suddenly its more than just feelings.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
You've summarised my blog really well! Ha
It is a pretty dangerous way of thinking and we do need to make sure we look at things critically - and that doesn't just mean looking for ways we're made the victims
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
I could start by saying what a tirade against the west and accuse you of Westernophobia. This is the opposite of Islamophobia and is the new word to stop Muslims, or anyone from complaining about the west. These words, Islamophobia, Racist, Anti-Semitic and now Westernophobia have been used for decades to a] stop any constructive discussion, b] win an argument if you are losing and not to forget c] aid self censorship and the PC brigade.
But on quietly reading your article I can appreciate your thoughts and fears. Your last comments are very true.
In some ways though Muslims are the cause of this prejudice, they have been too quick to take offence of any comments by the host population and to complain about how decedent the host population are.
This and the above as caused the media to treat the Muslims differently from the rest of population and due to certain sections of the Muslim community in the UK. As proven how wrong it was to do so and what you are beginning to see [correctly] is the possible backlash against the Muslim community.
Britain as a population of almost 70 million and approximately 30% of this is made up of immigrants who are either immigrants, or first and second-generation descendants of immigrants. Of this 20 million only 5 million are Muslim. The other 15 million seem to get along with the host population and are not forever demanding this or that and that the British legal system should in some way be altered to suit Muslim views.
I have seen marches in London by Muslims demanding “Sharia law for the UK”, “Death to all who Insult Islam” or “Death to Gays”. Not to mention insulting behaviour to British troops who have marched through their hometowns to be met with large protests by Muslims holding placards. “British soldiers burn in Hell”. I could go on, but you get my drift, [Prejudice, Intolerance and fear can effect all sections of the community]
One example of this bias towards Muslims, and the self censorship of the media as been the Muslim grooming gangs that have been going on for more then ten years in Rochdale, Oxford and Rotherham, just to mention a few. Young vulnerable girls, most under 16 and from working class, or local authority care have been raped, abused and sold off, or exchanged with other Muslim gangs. This was brought to the notice of the Police etc, but in the cause of “must not upset the Muslim community”. We will let the Muslim community sort it out and punish the wrongdoers.
The Media as, in the interest of playing down the problem used the term “Asian child rape and grooming gangs”, many times until the majority of Asians who where not Muslims, nor of Pakistani origin started to complain. Then the media started to use other terminology. [Imagine what the uproar would have been if during the height of the troubles and the bombing campaign by the IRA on mainland Britain. The term “Europeans are planting bombs in London and killing innocent people?]
I am the first to admit that we in the UK are not perfect, far from it, but when you look how Britain as changed over the past 50 years with very little violence. We must be a fairly tolerant bunch, but after a while all take and no give and peoples tolerance starts to wear thin. Not just ethnic British, but the vast majority of immigrants who have come to Britain over the years to escape intolerance of where they lived before coming to Britain.
As for the child rape gangs, IMHO, at the first complaint the perpetrators should have been dealt with swiftly and fairly using the full might of British Law with no account taken of the persons culture or belief. British Laws should be applied in the same way to all. This in turn means, if the Law starts to be biased against one section of the community against another. Then it too should be condemned, before it loses its respect.
I considered this blog to becoming from another angle - one of our prejudices. We blame the media and others, but we cannot let them be excuses for our own negative actions - we are responsible for them.
I agree. (I dont think you can "let the community sort the issue out" because while they can try to prevent crimes, once they have been committed it is the job of the Police to prosecute the individuals and not allow for mob rule.)
It seems there has been a general intolerance by the authorities to deal with such issues. It may be a side effect of us not wanting to think about them, because they are horrible issues.
It is not just the gangs that have been prosecuted in groups, it the same with the gangs that were roaming through the media companies (where the media through self interest conveniently has covered each case as an individual unlinked case) and the political and security organisations (where there is still much secrecy but these have been labeled as groups commiting the crimes). At the height of investigation, material was even confiscated from officers under the official secrets act and Parliament has recently failed to protect individuals from prosecution should they expose these crimes.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yeah, what You said...
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi