Many would believe that once Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric was just an electioneering trick, and once he is in White House, he, being the president of the most powerful country, would act wisely.
No. Nada.
Nothing has happened since November 8 last, the day an overwhelming majority of Americans voted the Republican’s nominee into power. Negativity or one must say outright hatred, towards the Muslims, is trending upward by the member of the public and opinion makers in the US, the land which would boost its principles above faith and creed. Islamophobic gets an official credence when the head of the State is found to be indulged in inflammatory actions and words.
He tried to ban the entry of Muslims to the US, which thankfully was thwarted by the courts. Courts may ban the president actions, being deemed anti-America’s great foundations, but they may not nip the trend, which is not confined to America now.
On July 9, a bag stamped with a swastika and containing a pig’s head was thrown at an Islamic school in Brisbane, Australia. Of course, America, being the world leader, sets in the trends world over. Though leaving a pig head at the mosque might be disgusting and provoking, incidences of anti-Muslim harassment, such as arson and vandalism at mosques and bullying at schools have become an order of the day. A Pew survey found that half of the Muslims in the US say that in 2016, they have faced some discrimination, such as being treated with distrust, threatened or called an offensive name. The number is likely to increase this year. Sixty-four percent of those with a more distinct Muslim identity said they had recently faced some type of discrimination.
In these trying times, if one thinks so, the role of the US mass media is very important. It seems the US media is not taking anti-Muslim harassment and violence a top news. The media at times is hogged with anti-Semitism matters while hate speech against Muslims is very conveniently shelved or downplayed. In its 2015 "hate crime" statistics, the FBI reported some 664 anti-Semitic incidents and 257 anti-Muslim incidents. Those are crimes, not speeches, as Northern Wyoming Daily News wrote on July 29, 2017.
The sorry state of Islamophobic cannot be blamed on the whole world, as the extremist Muslims have also chipped in a large share in the hate trends. The game changer 9/11 was all planned, executed and claimed by the Muslim militants. The emergence of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq, Syria, and parts of Europe will only flame sentiments against the Muslims.
The problem is not likely to go away very soon. Its growth, however, can be stemmed by taking appropriate and instant measures. All faiths need to start finding common grounds among religion and promote acceptance and respect of the differences. The biggest responsibilities, however, lies with the Trump administration. It needs to take corrective measures and embrace the Muslims living in the US. The gesture will have its far-reaching impacts on the world over.
No comments:
Post a Comment