The post-modern globalised world we live in today is a house divided against itself. Unfortunately, the divisions are compounding further with every passing day. Humanity is suffering from many forms of bias, prejudice and discrimination on account of faith, caste, creed, colour, ethnicity, economy and origin. Glued into a formidable global society by the fast and free digital communication, the seeds of discord and division are being sown by the rich and the powerful. The teeming millions on the other side of the divide pay the price with their blood and tears. The world’s richest one per cent today control almost 80 per cent of global resources.

The billionaires across the globe were able to multiply their fortunes even in the crippling conditions created by the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, the hapless millions worldwide suffered immensely and were rendered jobless and homeless. Many could not have two square meals a day. The senior management of the World Food Programme has warned against the increasing number of people suffering from hunger and poverty. The digital divide has sharpened swiftly and reduced millions of digital aliens to redundancy in the global job market.

The gruesome murder of George Floyd in the US unmasked the pronounced bias against the blacks in a country that champions equality of opportunity, liberty and the rule of law. For similar offences in the US, blacks are awarded far severer and more torturous punishments than whites. Unfortunately, the outgoing US president fanned the flames of white supremacy to widen the gulf, split the American society along ethnic lines, spat venom against Muslim Americans and targeted believers of Islam across the world. This resulted in an upsurge in Islamophobia on a massive scale. French President Marcon then caused immense anguish to Muslims with his highly uncalled for remarks against Islam. Joining the league of far-right political leaders, Prime Minister Modi of India unleashed a reign of terror in India against all religious minorities, including Muslims. The military rule in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir has made the lives of eight million Muslims miserable.

Against this backdrop, it is pertinent to mention a new report by the United Nations that highlights the rise in Islamophobia and excessive surveillance of Muslims in countries worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council report, which was released recently, is unsparing in its critique of the governments around the world. The report, officially titled Countering Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred to Eliminate Discrimination and Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief, notes an overall rise in Islamophobic incidents around the globe. The UN report uses the terms Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate interchangeably to avoid “condemning all critiques of Islam,” which it says could endanger academic freedom. Opinion polls indicate that Muslims are increasingly being portrayed in an unfavourable light. Quoting data from other sources, the report reveals that almost four in ten Europeans held unfavourable views of Muslims in surveys conducted between 2018 and 2019. A survey of Americans conducted in 2017 found 30 per cent viewed Muslims “in a negative light.” Yet, according to a study conducted by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the report compiled at least one piece of potentially good news: anti-Islamic attacks peaked in 2017 and have somewhat declined since then. However, it was unclear if the sampling size was similar year to year. It is sad to know that the rise of Islamophobia has been driven partly by local conditions in individual countries and regions. Class and ethnicity often played a role as well.

The double standards of Western states and the biased vocabulary used by their media have directly contributed to the rise of Islamophobia to alarming levels. In several European countries, while anti-Semitism is considered a crime, insulting Islam is allowed under the guise of freedom of expression.

The rise of far-right groups in world politics is another factor triggering an increase in hatred toward Muslims. “We welcome the recent report by the United Nations describing Islamophobia as reaching epidemic proportions,” said Erum Ikramullah, a research project manager at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. “These new UN findings are in line with ISPU data, which consistently find that American Muslims are the most likely faith group to report facing religious discrimination, at about 60 percent over the past five years.” Around the globe, negative and one-sided portrayals of Muslims in the media has contributed to the rise of Islamophobia, according to the report. The UN report cites a European Commission against Racism and Intolerance study which found that of 600,000 Dutch news items in 2016 and 2017, the adjectives most used to describe Muslims were “radical,” “extremist”, and “terrorist”; in contrast, Dutch people are often described as “known,” “average” and “beautiful.” The double standards of Western states and the biased vocabulary used by their media have directly contributed to the rise of Islamophobia to alarming levels. In European countries, while anti-Semitism is considered a crime, insulting Islam is allowed under the guise of freedom of expression. Political pundits call for a distinction between freedom of expression and hate speech against all religions, including Islam, and for laws that criminalise anti-Islamism. “While anti-Semitism is banned, I cannot understand that Islamophobia is considered freedom of opinion,” says Amr Moussa, a former Arab League secretary-general.

In continuation of the wave of Islamophobic outrage, the very recent heartless terrorist attack by a 20-years old truck driver in London, Ontario, Canada, which willfully ran over a Muslim family from Pakistan, has sent shocking signals across the globe. This barbaric act of unfathomable hatred and venom in the perpetrator has rung alarm bells and raised many questions about interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence. What is reassuring to see is the speedy response and swift action taken by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wasted no time and minced no words in condemning the villainous act in the strongest possible terms. He has promised to take all legal actions to bring the murderer to justice and vowed to fight the far-right groups. Earlier, we witnessed the heroic rise of Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand, against the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 and immediately labelled it as an act of terrorism, consoled the Muslim community and bluntly called out an Australian lawmaker’s suggestion of a possible link between immigration and violence “a disgrace”. Owing to her acts and utterances, she won millions of hearts worldwide.

Justin Trudeau has a tough challenge ahead to pick a leaf from her book and act like a statesman. We believe he will.

The US, as the sole superpower on the planet, has a decisive role to play. Can Joe Biden deliver on the tall claims and lofty promises he made during his presidential campaign and inaugural speech and thus make the world a better place for all to live a happy and secure life? The highly polarised world badly needs leaders who have the will and vision to seize the moment, heal the wounds, balm the bruised body of world politics and sow the seeds of peace, unity and love. We have seen enough of the rise of hatred, prejudice and discord worldwide.

The writer is a Federal Board of Revenue   commissioner