A dangerous rhetoric

With Republican presidential candidate, Dr Ben Carson, likening Syrian refugees to dogs and Donald Trump calling for special IDs for Muslims, it is evident that Islamophobic sentiments are ramping up in the US. Candidates vying for the presidential seat would never say anything that would tarnish their image amongst the public. This leads one to conclude that the sentiment the public harbours for Muslims may not be very different. According to a ‘Rasmussen Reports’ survey, 49 percent of Americans believe Muslim refugees are a security threat.
Terrorist activities in the name of Islam followed by anti-Muslim rhetoric can indeed lead people to misconstrue its true image. We need a strong counter-narrative to defend Muslims not involved in terrorism. If this rampant anti-Muslim rhetoric is left unchecked, its ripples could take a practical form. In fact, according to The Independent, since the attacks in Paris, hate crimes against Muslims have already gone up 300 percent in the UK.
Saim Khan Jhagra
Peshawar