World of hate

Today marks the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The need for such a day is arguably more evident now than ever before. This is not only due to a surge in Islamophobic incidents in the West, which has become particularly pronounced in the days following the horror unleashed on an occupied people after October 7, but also because those that seek to harm, marginalize and demonize Muslims appear to be enjoying greater mainstream legitimacy than ever before. Take for example the US, where the notoriously Islamophobic Donald Trump managed to become president, and where the Council on American Islamic Relations has recorded 774 requests for help and reports of bias incidents between October 7 and October 24 alone. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the party led by Geert Wilders, who has advocated for banning mosques and Islamic schools, won a surprise victory in November 2023.

The West is not the only arena where Islamophobes appear to be enjoying unprecedented leeway and support. The same can be said of global politics, such as Israel and India. The former is actively pursuing genocide and the latter is led by a man in PM Narendra Modi who rose to this office despite being accused of enabling an anti-Muslim pogrom and during his time in office has illegally annexed IIOJK, enacted a citizenship law that would disenfranchise Muslim refugees, and seen acts of violence and harassment against Muslims grow under his watch. And yet, it was the UN, the very institution marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and reminding people of the threat it poses, that saw fit to invite PM Modi to lead International Yoga Day celebrations at UN headquarters in New York last year. Perhaps the UN should think about heeding its own warnings.

While it is primarily Muslims that are suffering from this phenomenon, the UN takes care to note that this form of hatred can harm non-Muslims as well, “based on perceptions of nationality, racial or ethnic background”. Take for example the fact that Sikhs in the US are routinely profiled as Muslims and targeted for violent and, in some cases, deadly attacks. It should not surprise one that bigots are not the most discerning people in the world and cannot differentiate between different groups of immigrants and minorities. After all, if racists had a nuanced understanding of different cultures, they probably would not be the way they are. What this means is that rising Islamophobia will damage the rights of marginalized and minority groups in general. The bombs in Gaza are falling on churches too, Hindutva mobs are attacking Dalits as well and Trump maligns Mexicans as well. This is an interconnected world. A danger to one group of people will inevitably spread to others. This day is not and should not become about making the world safer for one group. It is about the safety of us all.