Pars Today

Pars Today- Anti-Islamic racism, known as Islamophobia, is based on a simple reality: in order to justify the US foreign policy in West Asia- especially the support for the Apartheid and occupying Zionist regime- victims should be demonized.

According to the studies conducted by Pars Today, it can be said that the current pioneers of Islamophobia in the heat of the Israeli regime's war against Palestinians, instead of showing the reality that the Palestinian movement has its roots in the struggle against oppression and occupation, are seriously pursuing to introduce Arabs or Muslims fanatic and violent by nature.

To understand this better, go back to the year 2016, when the anti-Muslim sentiments were so strong in the United States that caused Donald Trump to go to the White House. His Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, labeled by him as a "Muslim ban", saved him from the margin in the presidential campaign and made him the Republican candidate.

But the seed of Trump's victory in 2026 had been sowed years ago on 9/11, 2001. Before that, in the early 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, thinkers like Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis began to promote this view in Washington that the West is in confrontation with Islam in the "Clash of civilizations".

Huntington wrote that with the defeat of Communism, Islam is the "Ideal enemy" for the US since it was different racially and culturally and from the military aspect was strong enough to be a valid threat to US security.

But, four years later in the American presidential elections of 2020, the war against Muslims was apparently over and the stories of dangerous Muslims could no more be seen on the news headings. Anti-Muslim rhetoric had almost completely left in Trump's campaign for reelection. In this phase, Russia and China were embodied as the enemies of the United States instead of Islam.

The unprecedented bombardment of Gaza by Israel, all of a sudden and vigorously brought back the anti-Muslim propaganda and attacks to the US. In the city of Plainfield, Illinois, Wadea al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was killed at his home by an assailant who stabbed him and his mother while shouting, "You Muslims must be killed".

The Israeli leaders have several times dubbed Hamas' Operation al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, as the "Israeli September 11". Thus, in a false comparison, they have tried to urge the officials of former governments to converge. This comparison is unacceptable as the goal of Hamas is the end of over 7 decades of Israeli occupation, while al-Qaeda- if it is considered as the perpetrator of the 9/11 attacks- was intended to expand aggression against the US.

As a result, the Western officials' sympathy with the ostentatious innocence of the Zionist usurpers and the dishonest remarks of government officials on Palestine and Muslims caused the atmosphere more intense and Islamophobia increased in an organized and pre-planned manner. The Islamophobic events increased by %180 in the US, 1300% in Canada, and %600 in Britain.

In spite of the increase in violence against Muslims, the demonstrations of supporters of Palestine were banned in Western countries such as Britain, Germany, and France. Yet, many supporters ignored the regulations and poured onto the streets despite the use of tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators in France and attacking them physically in Germany.

These events were so bizarre that they even caused the British lawmakers to protest. This group of MPs made up of different political parties, including the ruling conservatives, severely lashed out at the British government's failure to tackle the growing hatred against Muslims and the ways to confront such crimes.

Mathias Rohe, a German university professor and expert on political issues, warned against the increase of anti-Muslim sentiments in his country and said that the combat against Islamophobia requires active participation of bigger parts of the society.

Experts of Islam believe that the main cause of the aggressive view of the West towards this religion, the Qur'an, and the Prophet of Islam is its high power to salvage mankind with various races from the yoke of others. According to the text of the noble Qur'an, accepting of oppression of others is haram (religiously forbidden) just as oppressing others is haram. Moreover, the Qur'an and the Prophet of Islam have expressly preached that there is no difference among races and colors of skin and said that it is only Godwariness that is precious and brings superiority.

Sources:

Islamophobia is an urgent problem in Germany, expert says, 2023, Anadolu Agency.

 Suella DeVille & UK government's criminalization of Palestine solidarity, 2023 The New Arab.

State hate: How the authorities fuel Islamophobia, 2024, Counterfire.

British lawmakers slam government for not tackling rising Islamophobia, 2023, Anadolu Agency.

Islamophobia in the US is rooted in its unconditional support for Israel, 2023, The New Arab.

Key phrases: Islamophobia in the West, banning Muslims' entry into the US, October 7, crimes against Muslims

RM/BK