Abstract
A cliché arises when Islam is claimed to be the source of a succession of terrorist attacks. As a result, several states have been concerned about and distrustful of Muslims—Islamophobia. Islamophobia is linked to unfavorable stereotypes about Muslims and Islam, which leads to the formation of anti-Islam sentiment. Prejudice stems from the belief that Islam is a lesser faith that poses a challenge to society's prevailing ideals. Because of its dichotomous function, the media has become the focus of attention in the instance of Islamophobia. It has become the source of the symptoms of Islamophobia. As a human civilization that relies on revenue to survive, Muslim communities have witnessed Islamophobia wreaking havoc on their businesses, overall economy, and resources. Islamophobia is a global issue associated with unfavorable attitudes and biases toward Muslims and Islam; it requires proper knowledge, good reporting, and appropriate representation at the international level.
Introduction
The Muslim world is currently mired in a vicious cycle of internal and foreign threats. In terms of internal issues, it is clear that social, political, and sectarian cleavages exist, with the deteriorating economy adding insult to injury. Externally, the most challenging threat facing the Muslim world is widespread “Islamophobia.” It is also referred to as a type of racism; it is where you cannot find a job or a place to live because of your name, being stopped and searched because of your outlook, it is when assumptions are made on what your “real beliefs” are, when you face harassment or attacks wherever you go because of your clothes, it is having your community lied about in the media over and over again. Racism is racism no matter what form it takes (Green, 2019). Racism that attacks displays of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness is at the basis of Islamophobia. The term Islamophobia is a neologism made up of the words Islam and phobia, the latter a Greek suffix that means “fear or dislike of.” This increasing prejudice has its origins in the 9/11 attacks, which the USA and the rest of the world labeled an act of Islamic terrorism. Following these assaults, the alt-right categorizes Islam as a formidable danger to the Western world, and this fear has driven right-wing radicals to detest Muslims all around the world.
The anti-Islamophobia movement, on the other hand, is divided into three strands. To begin, it is stated that Islamophobia is a meaningless term because the phenomenon it is supposed to depict does not occur (Helbling, 2013). Racism may be defined as any discrimination or prejudice aimed against Muslims, and it does not require the use of a specific label. Second, some say that invoking Islamophobia to limit debate and free expression is a sort of censorship. To put it another way, Islamophobia is seen as a symptom of “political correctness gone wrong.” Third, Islamophobia is said to be a reasonable reaction to the threat, or perceived threat, posed by many Muslims’ radicalization.
The rise of Islamophobia
The number of anti-Muslim hate crimes increased to its greatest level since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks from 2015 to 2017, a phenomenon known as the rise in Islamophobia. It is categorized as unreasonable fear, prejudice, and hostility aimed against Muslims or Islam. It was a word coined in the early 20th century that has become increasingly relevant in recent decades. Islamophobia is a relatively recent phrase, yet it stretches back to the early days of Islam in ancient Makkah as a phenomenon. The first victim of Islamophobia was neither a Hijabi in northern London who was beaten because of her head scarf, nor a man in Manhattan who was spat on and urged to return to his homeland. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the first victim of Islamophobic propaganda. He was the one who presented the lessons that rocked Arabia's foundations. The first lesson that you can only attain calm and inner peace by submitting to Allah, the one true God, and the second is that all individuals are equal in front of their Creator, regardless of skin color or racial affiliation. He was mocked, tormented, and assaulted because of this. He was referred to as a lunatic, a magician, and a soothsayer (Pratt and Woodlock, 2016). Several times, he was physically attacked, and he was eventually expelled from his nation.
The conflict between Muslims and the West stretches back to the seventh century, and was sparked by military clashes between the West and the Islamic world, which culminated in the conquering and reconquest of each other's territories and spheres of influence. During the heyday of Islam, between the seventh and 10th centuries, Muslim power and dominance extended to European countries such as Spain, Sicily, and Portugal; the Crusades turned the tide between the 11th and 13th centuries; the Ottoman Turks reversed the balance and held sway over the Balkans and Constantinople, and twice attempted to capture Vienna between the 14th and 17th centuries. Then came the colonial era, during which imperial control was felt in Muslim nations such as Algeria, Egypt, and Libya, followed by the emergence of nationalism and national independence in these colonized lands. This battle for dominance was primarily sponsored by religious fanaticism (Horowitz, 2017).
The term “Islamophobia”
Since the 11th century, nothing has changed: the early Christian responses to Islam were similar to those of much more recent times. The term Islamophobia grew more popular in the 1990s, according to Jocelyn (Cesari, 2017) especially when it was used in the Runnymede Trust think tank study “Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All.” In 1996, the Runnymede Trust came up with the following definition: Islamophobia is the fear or hate of Islam, and hence the fear and loathing of all Muslims, as well as bias against Muslims by barring them from the nation's economic, societal, and community life. Islamophobia is based on the belief that Islam is inferior to Western civilizations; rather than being a religion, it is seen as a violent political philosophy (Kaplan, 2015).
Islamophobia is a pathological and unnatural hostility towards Muslims and Islam. It is the current manifestation of an age-old prejudice against Islam (Grosfoguel and Martín-Muñoz, 2010). However, it would be an exaggeration to blame today's anti-Muslim sentiment completely on a fight that began in the 11th century. Anti-Muslim hatred nowadays is far more sporadic and is a result of modern circumstances, even if it is expressed religiously.
Europeans began to discover Muslims as a result of a series of events, including the Salman Rushdie affair in the UK, the headscarf affair in France, the 9/11 attacks, the caricatures crisis, and so on, and it was these developments that transformed the passive image of Muslims into an aggressive image. In truth, much of the phobia in European countries stems from a fear of emerging fundamentalist groups in the Islamic world, which are fueled by Muslims’ marginalization, whether via socioeconomic inequity, political repression, racial/religious discrimination, or foreign conflict.
Increased hatred towards Muslims
Prejudice and racism are on the decline in modern times, while actions of hatred and discrimination against Muslims are on the rise. Negative attitudes toward Islam and its adherents are on the rise, according to public opinion polls. In Europe, attacks on those considered to be Muslims are on the rise. Political parties that openly advocate for an anti-Islam agenda are gaining popularity, and the number of social groups aimed at outlawing Islam and Muslims is on the rise (Allen, 2016). Because of the shifting attitude toward Islam, debates regarding the complicated ties between nation governments and their religious populations have grown more relevant and persuasive.
In Germany, France, and the UK, a significant part of the public is opposed to having Muslims as neighbors. People's decisions on whether or not to live in diverse communities reflect this reluctance. Individuals who live in diverse communities, on the other hand, may be more accepting of persons who are different from them and less likely to be Islamophobic. In major Western democracies, there are genuine negative sentiments, prejudices, and distinctions directed against Muslims. In the West, Islamophobia presents itself in the perception of Muslims as untrustworthy, prejudice towards Muslims, and the avoidance of Muslims as neighbors. In Western countries, on the other hand, these feelings are uncommon. They are usually shared by a small fraction of the general population, but they are prevalent enough to draw attention and cause concern (Chrisafis, 2009).
Causes of growing Islamophobia
Incident of 9/11
Although anti-Muslim sentiment existed before September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks and the response to them heightened misconceptions about Muslims, such as the belief that Islam is inherently violent or that Muslims are prone to terrorism. Since 9/11, a tiny number of people have made a career out of Islamophobia, exploiting Muslims as scapegoats to further their own goals. The terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, transformed the face of fear in the West forever, paving the way for the USA to enter a new era of warfare known as the “war on terror.” It started out as a battle against terrorism, but quickly turned into a war against the Muslim world (Islam). Following these incidents, Islamophobia spread across the West. Between 1979 and 1989, the USA, in collusion with Western European nations, positioned Muslims against communism by leveraging the most sensitive Islamic idea of Jihad to convince them that the Soviet Union's invasion on Afghanistan was a move against Islam (Kaplan, 2006). However, as the Soviet Union withdrew, the USA and its allies abandoned the Jihadists, and the same Jihadists who fought for the USA became terrorists (the Taliban) in the eyes of the USA, as its vested interests in exploiting Afghanistan were fulfilled. The war on terror has also enveloped Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria. Only because of the USA’s so-called war on terror have waves of Islamophobia spread over country after country, raising fear among Muslims and the Muslim diaspora (Bleich, 2012).
Attacks against the name or religion of Islam have specifically given rise to hatred and prejudice towards Islam. Incidents such as the attack on the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, and the recent killing of Sri Lankan national Priayntha Kumar working in Pakistan over a blasphemy allegation, tarnish the image of Islam and destroy the efforts made to spread positivity about Islam. The West takes its lead from such incidents and carries out counter-attacks in response, such as the attack on a mosque in New Zealand or the killing of a Canadian Muslim family in London. Religious intolerance in Muslims has given rise to such attacks spreading terror in the West and contributed to the rise of Islamophobia.
The negative depiction of Islam by Western media
Aside from “terrorist attacks,” it is worrying to watch how Western media sources portray Islam and Muslims with bias and propagate Islamophobia. In the mainstream media and academic discourse on Islam and the West, there is a current obsession with portraying Muslims as violent, fanatical, and prejudiced, or as extremists and terrorists. According to studies, the media plays a key part in promoting an unfavorable image of Islam and Muslims. The focus of these studies was mostly on Western media, particularly in the USA and UK. It was found in a meta-analysis of 345 published studies from 2000 to 2015 that looked at the influence of the media on the construction of a Muslim and Islamic identity that Muslims are frequently shown in a negative light, with Islam being represented as a violent religion and Muslims as a direct or indirect threat to society (Ahmed and Matthes, 2017). In general, the Western media are inclined to promote a sense of “otherness” and to distort Islam and Muslims in news coverage.
Muslim perspectives were underrepresented, and situations affecting Muslims were frequently portrayed negatively. The media also promotes terms like “Islamic terrorism,” “Islamic bombs,” and “violent Islam,” all of which have contributed to a poor image of Islam. Whenever there is a report of an attack carried out by a Muslim, it is called Islamic terrorism (Hassan and Azmi, 2021). When a non-Muslim, on the other hand, commits a similar act (the fatal shooting of nine African Americans at Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, as a hate crime conducted by a white man, Dylann Roof), he is called a mentally ill lone wolf. This is the severe amount of prejudice that exists in the Western media, which has a significant impact on the image of Islam.
Ignorance about Islam and Muslims
Islamophobia is on the rise as a result of the West's misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims. The majority of Americans have never met a Muslim and know very little about Islam. According to a poll by the Islamic Work Group (ING), just 38% of Americans claim to know a Muslim, with the remaining 62% claiming to have seldom or never conversed or engaged with a Muslim. Furthermore, 57% admitted to knowing little about Islam, while the remaining 26% indicated they knew nothing about Islam, and these figures have not altered in decades. These data demonstrate that the West is uneducated regarding Islam and Muslims; they believe what they see and hear. In this sense, their ignorance harms Islam and Muslims as a whole, fostering anti-Islamic sentiment and contributing to Islamophobia (Pratt, 2011). When the word “terrorist” is mentioned, it is assumed to be a Muslim. Terrorists are sometimes associated with a radicalized group known as “Muslims,” which includes both Muslims and people who seem Arab or Middle Eastern. Rather of being depicted as regular individuals with families and friends, Arabs and Muslims are almost exclusively depicted as terrorists or other bad characters. Because of terrorist groups’ violent and barbaric deeds (beheadings, suicide attacks), a general perception of Muslims and Islam has seeped into the minds of Westerners who have a negative phobia of Islam (Bazian, 2018). “The worst opponent of Islam are stupid Muslims, whose ignorance leads to intolerance, whose actions ruin the genuine image of Islam, and when others look at him, they assume Islam is what he is” (Vahed, 2013: 244), Sheikh Ahmed Deedat remarked.
Islamophobia is linked to identity politics since it allows people to establish their identities in opposition to a negative picture of Muslims. Islamophobia has emerged in certain cultures as a result of the presentation of Islam and Muslims as national “others,” with exclusion and discrimination based on their religion. During elections, anti-Muslim rhetoric typically rises, since most parties have used fear of Muslims to get votes. Under Modi's BJP regime, the RSS, a Hindu nationalist group in India, advocated the establishment and dominance of “Hindutva,” neglecting Muslims and treating them inhumanely. Trump's election campaigns were also based on identity politics, with the slogan “America First,” which accentuates the West's ethnic superiority over the East World leaders and engages in “identity politics” in order to weaken and dehydrate Islam's identity and image (Osborne, 2016).
Implications of Islamophobia for Muslims
Social implications
Following the rise in Islamophobia, Muslims in the West have become targets of discrimination. Since the terrorist attacks on the USA’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, a lot has changed. Various Western nations have reported a rise in open episodes of hostility toward Muslims during the last two decades, according to the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia's report on Islamophobia. Official policies prohibiting women from wearing the headscarf in countries such as Austria, China, Denmark, Sri Lanka, France, Bulgaria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chad, Netherlands, and Switzerland are perceived by respondents to work against Muslim integration by legitimizing discrimination in areas such as employment and stimulating more aggressive anti-headscarf reactions in both discourse and street incidents (Rehman and Hanley, 2021).
Issues related to health
Muslims are a racially and ethnically diverse population united by religion, heritage, culture, and ethnicity, yet with health disparities. Discrimination that never ends, mosque vandalism, racial profiling, constant surveillance, fingerprint registrations, interviews, bullying, harassment, scolding, and the growth of Islamophobia have all contributed to unfavorable health outcomes and inequities among Muslims in the West.
Islamophobia targets essential components of Muslim identity, religion, and ethnicity, causing toxic and long-term stress that has negative and cumulative impacts on individuals’ and the community's physical and mental health. According to research published in the journal Jama Psychiatry (Awaad et al., 2021) in July, over 8% of Muslims in the USA have attempted suicide at some point in their lives. “When we evaluate how Muslim groups are performing compared to other communities, especially other disadvantaged populations, the mental health levels have taken a blow” (Awaad et al., 2021: 1043), stated Rania Awaad, associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. Daily experiences of discrimination, according to a 2015 review by Paradise, are linked to a variety of physical and mental health outcomes, including high blood pressure, coronary artery calcification, cognitive impairment, giving birth to low-birth-weight infants, cognitive impairment, high levels of C-reactive protein, poor sleep, depression, visceral fat, anxiety, and mortality, as well as risk factors for poor health (Samari, 2016).
Hatred against Muslims
Exaggerated dread, anger, and animosity against Islam and Muslims is known as Islamophobia. After the 9/11 attacks, when Muslims were labeled as terrorists, anti-Islam attitudes and animosity grew in the culture. The media also played a key part in exacerbating anti-Muslim sentiment. Many innocent Muslims have been victims of this hatred, such as Zaynab Hussein, a Muslim mother from Leicester, who in September 2017 was driving her children to school when Paul Moore ran her over with his car. Moore then proceeded to hit an eight-year-old girl wearing a hijab before returning to the scene of Zaynab's injury and running over her once again.
Meanwhile, Islamophobic hate crimes reported to the Metropolitan Police in London have increased by approximately 50% in just two years, from 1115 in 2016 to 1665 in 2018. Independent rights expert Ahmed Shaheed in a report to the Council referenced European surveys from 2018 and 2019 indicating that roughly four out of 10 individuals have negative opinions of Muslims. In 2017, 30% of Americans had a bad opinion of Muslims.
Anti-Muslim hostility has increased in recent years. Although these emotions might develop in a variety of ways, assaults against mosques are a direct attack on religious liberty. There have been attempts to restrict or reject essential zoning permissions for the building and extension of Islamic and Muslim welfare institutions in the USA alone, with around 500 cases of mosque vandalism and criminal actions documented. Sri Lanka banned the wearing of the burqa on March 13 and closed 1000 Islamic institutions across the country. Several states in the USA have outlawed “Sharia law.” These instances demonstrate how Islamophobia has affected the attitudes of governments and cultures. However, others argue that Muslims are not ready for democracy or that Islam and democratic values are mutually incompatible (Raj, 2016). Such speech might be seen as Islamophobia; in essence, it implies that Muslims are violent by nature and prefer battle over diplomacy as a means of resolving their disagreements.
Economic implications
No job security
Because of the growth in anti-Islam attitudes as a result of Islamophobia, Muslims in Western nations are being forced to work for low salaries as a result of the phenomenon of isolation, which has a negative impact on their quality of life, resulting in an economic divide between Muslims and society (Jamshed et al., 2021). According to a Federal Bureau of Inquiry investigation into “hate crimes against Muslims,” the 9/11 attacks had a substantial impact on Muslim men's employment and hours of labor, resulting in a 9–11% drop in their actual income and weekly earnings. Another study conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics in the UK found that young Muslim men have a 10% lower employment rate than non-Muslim immigrants.
Apart from the extreme right's purposeful racism, Muslims in North America and Europe face racial discrimination in the workplace. According to research, the most common form of racial discrimination against Muslims is their exclusion from the job market. As a result, Muslim residents’ and migrants’ economic opportunities are directly affected by their homogeneity.
Boycotting of Muslim products
Consumer behavior is influenced by psychological factors such as motivation, learning, awareness, trust, and attitude. Islamophobia is one of the unfavorable views that is growing among the public and has an impact on customer conduct during the shopping process (Ruiz-Bejarano, 2017). In Muslim communities, Islamophobia has resulted in a drop in commerce as a result of anti-Islam attitudes and a loss of client loyalty.
Most Indonesians are Muslims; however, Islam has earned a bad conotations with its name as a result of a succession of terrorist attacks in nations throughout the world, including Indonesia. In Indonesia, prejudice against veiled women exists, as it does in Western nations, and is linked to religious extremism and even terrorism. In 2013, a study conducted in Singapore employed a qualitative technique in the form of transcendental phenomenology research to determine the impact of Islamophobia on earnings for Muslim-owned companies, particularly those owned by veiled women, in numerous regions of Indonesia. The findings of this survey revealed that there had been a shift in the community, with reduced tolerance for Muslims, which had an impact on company revenues.
Future strategies
Fighting Islamophobia is not solely the responsibility of Muslim ulemas; the entire Muslim community should establish initiatives to preserve and promote Muslim identity across the world. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Muslims in Europe were not practicing believers, the global war on terror, which demonized Islam and linked terrorism to it, caused Muslims, particularly those from the second and third generations of immigrants, to become possessive and defensive of their religion. They began to think carefully about their faith and received sufficient religious education in order to implement it in their daily lives. They have begun initiatives of social welfare and mutual collaboration, as well as the preservation of their identity, in order to wipe the stain of terrorism. TEDx Talks, American Muslim, and Head-to-Head are just a few of the programs available. To defend our faith, such efforts should be promoted even more, since they will enable people to organize themselves as a community. The Muslim ummah should begin to develop institutions for public welfare, education, and communal togetherness, as well as hold conferences and seminars to promote Islam and Muslims.
Tackling Islamophobia and extremism in the educational system
Discrimination, isolation, bullying, and harassment are only a few of the primary repercussions of Islamophobia on Muslims. These problems exist in all majority schools and institutions in the West, regardless of the percentage of Muslim students or employees. Steps must be done to ensure that these institutes foster an environment that respects varied faiths, equality, and practices. Staff must receive sufficient training and assistance in order to address the aforementioned difficulties and overcome racial, cultural, and religious diversity issues (Naqshbandi, 2006). Combating Islamophobia and supporting good behavior requires a communal effort and responsibility.
Individual staff members should not be isolated or placed in a vulnerable position because they opposed Islamophobia and racism, or promoted equality and diversity via their lectures, and school and college officials should be held accountable by law. School administrators should be aware that personnel from minority ethnic origins, particularly Muslim workers, may be particularly susceptible if the school does not take a collaborative approach to addressing these challenges. These reforms can only be achieved if all Muslim nations work together to present a single front and attitude on the subject, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the finest organization to serve this role.
Furthermore, students after graduating from universities should be made to run blogs and internet pages as an assignment to enable them to interact with the world, have a constructive discussion, and at the same time clear the doubts and queries of people about Islam and extremism. Student exchange programs at colleges and universities are conducted throughout the world to establish and enhance people-to-people interactions, thus helping to eliminate stereotypes and misconceptions. Such programs should be incorporated between Muslim countries and the Western world at the college and university level.
Moderation in religion
Islam is not just a religion; it is a complete way of life. The present situation and spread of Islamophobia have resulted in discrimination of Muslims which necessitates that a positive image of Islam be presented to the world. This is not to be done through electronic media only but through living the Islamic way of life and leading by example. This can be achieved only when we start practicing the true spirit of Islam. In order to do that, we have to make major reforms in our educational sector as well as in our parenting. Muslim ummah should include Islamic teachings, detailed translation of Quran, lessons of moral values, and autobiographies of Islamic heroes and the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in curriculums. The Organization of Islam Cooperation should formulate guidelines under which Muslim states organize cadres and workshops for parents followed by checking of that improved parenting in inculcating moral values, equality, humbleness, patience, and obedience in children during their upbringing (Sway, 2005). Muslim ummah have to undergo this so that the non-Muslim world may see what true Islam means, putting an end to discrimination.
Islamic scholars have a responsibility to address Islam and its related concerns through Ijtihad in order to combat Islamophobia. Muslim scholars from various countries who are well-known and respected in Western societies should join forces under the OIC to present a united front to the people of the West and engage them in constructive interfaith dialogues, issues, and answers to the critical questions that have troubled their minds (Tyrer, 2008). Pakistani Muslim clerics have made one such action, which is highly commendable. In 2018, over 1800 Pakistani Muslim clerics published an Islamic decree, known as the “fatwa,” prohibiting suicide bombing as a means of combating “terrorism.” To combat Islamophobia, such actions should be conducted on an international basis through an international forum.
Islamophobia and the role of the OIC
The OIC should work hard to bring Muslim nations together for the international community to realize all Muslims’ sincere love and regard for the Holy Prophet and the Quran. Legal measures must be implemented to protect the religious sensibilities of all religious groups, and the OIC must work together to reflect the real image of Islam and its message of peace and tolerance (Naseem and Hafeez, 2017).
In his historic speech to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan encouraged Islamic states and the rest of the world to take massive efforts to combat Islamophobia. He stressed that equating Islam with terrorism is completely unfounded. The premiere emphasized that the world community “must demonstrate a shared commitment against bigotry and incitement to violence based on religion or belief and strive together for peaceful coexistence” (UN News, 2021). The OIC forum will take such actions in collaboration with the UN.
Curbing extremist groups
Another strategy to reduce the threat of Islam being linked to terrorism is to detach and curtail extremist groups. Terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram, as well as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi on a national level, have changed the image of violent extremism and radical Islam in recent years (Ahmar, 2011). Their message of religious, cultural, and social intolerance has a negative impact on the Muslim ummah. They strive to undermine our common principles of peace, fairness, and human dignity by occupying land and utilizing social media to broadcast their atrocities and crimes in real time.
The UN General Assembly adopted a “Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism in 2016” for this goal. This is one approach to collectively combat extremist forces through a reputable platform. Another step in this direction should be for the OIC to declare to the world that not just Islam, but no religion, is related to terrorism, and that every terrorist is not a Muslim. On a national level, a single state, such as Pakistan, must take action. The operations “Rad ul Fasad” and “Zarb e Azab” show Pakistan's commitment to containing terrorist elements and promoting peace and stability.
Spending more resources on science and technology
A nation's power is based on its knowledge and application. Knowledge of science and technology is another component that can help to restore the Muslim ummah's tarnished image. This is only conceivable if sufficient resources are allocated to this field of research at both the state and central levels of the OIC. Scholarship programs will be offered to deserving Muslim students from throughout the world in order to help them grow in science and technology, earning them recognition in the worldwide community. It would provide work possibilities for the whole population, especially the poorest members of our society, who are more vulnerable to extremist movements as a result of their poverty. It will also help to alleviate socioeconomic issues that are directly linked to the emergence of extremism.
Participation of the media to overcome Islamophobia
With the growth of the media, the world has become a global village. The same media was and continues to be one of the most important venues for the development of Islamophobia, but when utilized appropriately it can also be a powerful tool for combating Islamophobia. The media may be used to challenge and dispel preconceptions about Islamic knowledge and beliefs. It may be used to provide a favorable picture of Islam as well as a weapon to combat Islamophobia. In order to construct a network disseminating the genuine message, teachings, and a soft image of Islam to the world, a concerted effort by all Muslim countries under the OIC is required (Gabsi, 2019).
Measurements concerning more positive images of Muslims and Islam must be increased within the media. Muslims involvement should be higher and specialists in Islam be favored, aligned with the possibility that Muslims voices are being heard and not silenced. However, Muslim participation is vital, in order to offer their view and highlight that they too are engaged, such as being reporters, editors, or columnists. The path to religious freedom must be equally met by non-believers and believers; otherwise, religious freedom cannot be achieved (Edvardsson, 2018).
Conclusion
To combat increasing Islamophobia, political leaders and individuals in positions of authority across the world must refrain from using anti-Muslim language. They must cease demeaning Muslims and condemning Islam, due to the fact that terrorism is a worldwide problem that requires collaborative action to solve. To summarize, the media, as well as society-building instruments such as educational institutions, should play a critical role in unbiased reporting and nation-building, respectively, in order to disseminate a positive attitude and combat the threat of Islamophobia.
Footnotes
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
