Islamophobia - a New Term with Old Roots of Outcomes

Islamophobia, a term that gained prominence in recent years, refers to the irrational fear, prejudice, discrimination, and hostility towards Islam and Muslims. It manifests in various forms, ranging from verbal abuse and hate speech to physical violence and systemic marginalization. This essay delves into the complex and concerning phenomenon of Islamophobia, exploring its origins, manifestations, impact, and the urgent need to address and combat this form of bigotry.

The terms Islamophobia was used in the early 20th century and emerged the theologies then became increasingly salient during the 1980s and 1990s and reach public policy prominence with the published book by the Runnymede Trust Commission on British Muslim this. The historical usage of the term “Islamophobia” described prejudice and hostility towards Muslims. The 1997 Runnymede trust report explained Islamophobia as “a useful shorthand way of referring to dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, to fear or dislike of all or most Muslims'. Extrapolate beliefs about a particular group or class of people refers to stereotypes. It makes us disregard the differences in the individuals: therefore we think or assume things about others that either be true or false.

Authors have criticized the term because it has applied to widely divergent phenomena because it implies” fear of Islam” as faith when the “true” problem is negative stereotyping of Muslims as a people and because its risks stigmatizing all critiques of Islam. This overstated fear, hatred, and hostility towards Islamist people that continued by negative stereotypes resulting in bias, and the treatment and exclusion of Muslims from social, political, and civic life.

Islamophobia mixed prejudice and anger against Muslims. However, this “fear” changed to violence against them, and discrimination arises, cyber-bullying, rejection of their employment even their residency, the stricter security checks on them, and the worse scenario is that they attacked because of mere suspicion. Some of them accused as a terrorist and convicted without a proper investigation. The specific Idea “Islam” is not supposed to confuse with animus toward people, yet it is it really happened. The negative attitudes towards Islam or Muslims suggest that the target may be the religious doctrine or the people who follow it or believe to follow it.

Rising Awareness of This Stigmatazed Fear - Islamophobia

After reading “What does “Islamophobia” actually means”, it was said that there were in society who actively disliked it and feared it because they identify it with a terrorist threat or an existential threat. We can’t blame other people to doubt every time they saw a Muslim because of 9/11 history, however, we can empathize with the Muslim who doesn’t involve but affected by the result of the case.

It was also mentioned the Runnymede Trust report “A Challenge for Us All” documented the views of Islam including Perceptions of religion as a single block that is barbaric, sexist, and engaged in terrorist activities. We are aware that some Muslims were engaged in terrorist activities, violence, illegal activities, hijacking, and oppression of women, however, if the Muslims did a horrible thing doesn’t mean they represent Islam, It doesn’t mean that all Muslim were likely to engage in the activities. Because of the common mindset and fear in which people make judgments of Islam as the enemy, as the “other”, as dangerous and unchanged, that is why we fear, discriminate, hurt, and reject them.

“Religion Differ, and Their Specific Differences Matter”

Every Muslim outlook on their religion of peace and peace helps to encourage, generosity, mercy, and forgiveness to people who commit misbehavior to other people and in the community. Why is there this stereotype and negative reputation of Muslims? It is a fact that a small group of militant Muslims who used violence or terrorism on the International level to liberate their own religion. I believe that Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam have their own method of resolving conflicts either violently and non-violently. It is only that the small group of militant Muslims have their own perception that the only way for them to reach out is violence, suicide bombs, terrorist attacks, etc...

The essence of Muslims is not to fight but to have peace. Since September 11 Muslim people constantly suffer from being stereotyped and seen as extreme and that is wrong because not enough people know that Islam means “peace” in Arabic, Islam teaches to not judges others, the extreme one does not represent the religion. Just like all Christians, Muslims want peace and want to treat fair and normal.

Commonly people only know Muslims on TV but never had a true encounter with the Islamist people, On TV they don’t see the majority of the people who don’t have a desire for hate, suffering, and war. The voices of each other need to be heard more. To learn that not all Muslims are terrorists and not all Muslims will hurt us, one of the reasons not to fear them. Specifically youths, It is easy for them to believe with the things that they see and hear coming from their environment, they apply it either it is right or wrong, it stuck in their mind that thing is like this and that. However, we should help them to open their eyes to the truth explained to them the concept of Islamophobia and the truth about Islamist people.

Conclusion

Islamophobia is a new term in the academic field but it is an old concept. This term is debatable and needs elaboration or to have a more precise term to enclose the phenomenon on the expanse of the word this word. We have also, be able to show the effects of this idea that has been followed by the youth’s attitude towards Muslims. In the above discussion, the term “Islamophobia” described prejudice and hostility towards Muslims, dread or hatred of Islam, a fear or dislike of all or most Muslims and it falls to the discrimination that Islam have fallen victims of attacks and hatred only because of their religious inclination. After the reaction and the information that we have been discussed above, we can conclude that the cause of Islamophobia is the misunderstanding or not properly understand each other and lack of inter-religion dialogs.

Einstein once said, “What a sad era when it is easier to smash an atom than a prejudice”. Wish for the world to respect each other, to spread love, peace, hope, and stop spreading hate, accept each other’s differences will it be in a religion, beliefs, and culture. I hope one day we woke up and the world has equity and has changed for the better