Islamophobia is a fever that runs through the world, but severely in the United States. It now seriously affects how the future US President looks upon it too. Anti-muslim hate crimes and Islamophobia has been affecting a large number of Muslims throughout the world, especially the USA. A stereotype describes that Islam is linked to terrorism. These negative prejudices against Muslims and Islam lead to the construction of a force called anti-Islam. This force and agenda are purely based on hatred and misconceptions.
In recent years, these forces have become strong and claim that Islam is a threat to the dominant values of society. These forces are triggered by the governments as well as the media and have greater-than-perceived impacts on society as a whole. But when did it all start? Read below to find answers.
Islamophobia – When did it all start?
The number of anti-muslim hate crimes boosted from 2015 to 2017. This was the highest level of Islamophobia since the aftermath of 9/11. This period is known as the “rise of Islamophobia”.
Islamophobia is described as the fear and anger directed against Islam, its principles, and its followers. It is not a new concept, but rather an enhanced one. Islamophobia is a phenomenon that dates back to the early days of Islam in ancient Makkah. Victims of Islamophobia weren’t the hijabi women and bearded men at that time. The first victims of Islamophobia were the last messenger of Allah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
When the teachings against the cruel rules and foundations of ancient Arab were introduced, preachers of Islam became the victims of Islamophobia. Arabs were not ready to consider every person, whether black, white, rich, and poor equal, which lead to hatred towards Islam.
Comparing the past and the enhanced form of Islamophobia, one thing is certain; factors that drive Islamophobia are the same.
Islamophobia in the States
In the United States of America, there is a notion that Islam is trying to take over the country. This notion ignores the fact that Muslims barely make up 1% of the population. Muslims have been threatened to be monitored and blocked from entering the country. They suffer from vandalism, arsenic attacks, and physical assault in a country where they live and pay taxes.
The problem of Islamophobia is present at both sides of the Atlantic. If you go through American history, you will notice that the Irish immigrants, Chinese immigrants, and Indian immigrants have all been on the receiving end of the same pattern of prejudice.
America, which was founded on religious freedom, is now a threat to one of the most peaceful religions in the world. The democracy and livelihood of America’s citizens are not affected by Islam. It is affected by Islamophobia because Islamophobia is real terrorism.
Islamophobia and the US Elections
With the ruling period of Trump coming to an end, Muslims residing in America have mixed feelings about him and the coming elections of the State. A vast majority of people think that America without Trump would be a better and safer America for Muslims and other religions.
Donald J. Trump on Islam
Trump always has been an extremist towards Muslims and Islam. The hatred of Trump towards Islam is followed by a large number of Americans that support the same agenda and want a Muslim-free-America.
A statement proposed by Donald Trump said:
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the United States, until our country’s representatives can figure out “what the hell is going on?”. According to a research, among others, there is a great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the muslim population.”
To justify his extremism against the Islam, his statement was backed by a poll data from a racist organization. He further stated:
“Most recently, a poll from the Centre for Security Policy released showing that 25% of those agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad. 51% of those polled agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.”
This does not end here. He concluded the statement by saying:
“Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won’t convert, beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women.”
These statements, alongside several others, are proof that Muslims suffered through a lot in the presidential era of Trump. The islamophobic campaigns in the previous presidential elections won Trump lots of support from people having the same idealogy.
Presidential Elections USA 2020
Muslim American activists are working hard to have an impact on the next presidential elections USA 2020. They are struggling to build a positive image, so the future of Muslims in the United States can be as safe as the followers of other religions.
According to Joe Biden, who is a presidential election candidate, Muslim-Americans are essential to the States, and it is important to ensure that they are empowered. He has been encouraging Muslims to come forward and vote by saying “Your vote is your voice and the voice of Muslim-Americans matter.”
He acknowledges that Muslim communities are the first to experience Trump’s assault and has stated that he will end the Muslim ban on day one if he is elected as the president.
The presidential elections of 2020 and the fate of American Muslims are interconnected. Unlike the past elections, this year there is an array of hope that the roots of Islamophobia might weaken. Nevertheless, there is a lot of work to be done on that end.
To eliminate Islamophobia completely, there is a need for a dialogue. International communities should educate the anti-muslim forces about the consequences of Islamophobia on the world. If not, this is a virus that would keep spreading throughout the world, damaging values.
