What is islamophobia, its origin, its history? Rise of it in the West.

1. Islamophobia
Anti-Muslim sentiments
Defn: "More than 20 years since the
term Islamophobia entered our
political and policy lexicon, and almost
a decade since its 'passing the dinner
table test' was raised, this is a good
time to stop and survey the progress
that has been made in challenging this
social evil.

4. • Islamophobia means an unnecessary and groundless culture of fear
against Muslims and Islam. Namely, “Islamophobia term may be
defined sociologically as the fear that the Western society has against
Muslims”.
• The fact that the understanding that “although every Muslim is not a
terrorist, every terrorist is a Muslim” develops in the mind of
Westerners makes clear the subconscious fear of the Westerners.

5. a frequent debate in French politics and
society:
• Can French Muslims ever be just French?
• Following the 2015 attacks in Paris, in which the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant armed group (ISIL or ISIS) killed 130 people in three incidents,
Islamophobic sentiment has increased
• "The belief that Islam cannot be a part of France's Republic or that the
French Muslim is a disguised enemy from within the country has definitely
spread across the country,"
• "It's important to remember that after the 2015 attacks, the government
and other institutions publicly asked Muslims to disengage themselves
from what happened, which clearly means they didn't trust Muslims to be
supportive of France," Lazzouni said. "It was a way to affirm whether we
were loyal to the nation or not."

6. Pre 9/11
• My beliefs
• What is hijab
Post 9/11
• Go back home

7. • Violent extremism
• We are citizens not minorities (Prof Tariq R)
• British parliament motion It states: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism
and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or
perceived Muslimness.”

8. History of Islamophobia
• Post 9/11
• Pre 9/11
• Crusades
• Rise in Muslim attacks
• Anti Muslim rhetoric – Muslim suffered most

9. Three points to consider
1. origin of Islamophobia – Historical & ideological
2. What accounts for post cold war Islamophobia - Political Islam, war
on terror is the main theme in West – why surge in anti-Muslim
sentiment
3. What is adequate response post 9/11

10. Part 1 Origin of Islamophobia – Why West has
a problem?
• "Orientalism," as defined by Edward Said, is the Western attitude
that views Eastern societies as exotic, primitive, and inferior. Basically,
an Orientalist mindset centers the Western (European/American)
world and views the Eastern world as "the Other."
• Is it terrorism, Sayyid Qutub’s milestones, Al-Qaida
• Imam Hassan
• Maulana Maududi

11. • West goes through two reformative phase
• Pre-modern Christian Europe
• Modern secular Europe
• Judaeo-Christian narrative
• Kemalist Turkey/France
Pre-modern Christian Europe
• Europe is in opposition to Islamic civilisation
• 11th Century Pope Urban II (b.France 1035) - receives a messenger from Byzantium
emperor for help against Seljuk Muslim who had recently conquered modern
Malazgirt in Mus Province of Turkey (1071).

12. West v Muslims..
• Europe was also beginning to prosper economically – crusaders gained Spain and
the beginning of transatlantic trade.
• Muslims were seen as a threat by the Christians to their religion..(not Jews) - By
13th Century the crusader threat had dissipated.
• 1312 – Arabic centre set up in Vienna
• Oxford centre of Hebrew and Arabic
• Rise of Orientalism
• The Church scholars realised that the Islam cannot be defeated militarily so deal
with the Muslims on ideological basis.
The rise Ottoman 1453 – Constantinople falls- Sick man of Europe – more
negativity – Islamic threat in Europe
Ruling class in Venice sees Ottoman Empire incompatible with Europe -
sounds familiar…

13. Post enlightenment phase
• The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a philosophical
movement that took place primarily in Europe and, later, in North America,
during the late 17thand early 18thcentury. Its participants thought they were
illuminating human intellect and culture after the "dark" Middle Ages.
What were the three key ideas of the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on reason as the
primary source of knowledge and advanced ideals such as liberty,
progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government and separation
of church and state.

14. How is enlightenment linked to Islamophobia
• This shaped American nationalism…Jeudo-Christian secularism – it lead to
anti Islam sentiments led by the Protestant Missionaries..
• They saw Islam as a major threat – empire of sin..
• 1820 – 1920 – US foreign policy was based on reports from these
Missionaries..
• 1815 – Algiers – USA involved
• 1801 – 1805 Greek war of independence

15. • Poetry of that time – Frances Scott Key (1814): And pale beam’d the
Crescent, its splendor obscur’d By the light of the star-spangled flag of our nation,
Where each flaming star gleam’d a meteor of war, And the turban’d head bowed to
the terrible glare. How triumped they rose on the wandering flood, they stained the
blue waters with infidel blood…
It became American national anthem at that time..
Out of this American Nationalism rose..
What is democracy ….opposition to Khilafah…
American Nationalism was created to negate the threat of Islam as form of
governance…

16. • The West more so America saw Islamic government as an oppositional model
(1700 – 1800)– this is Islamophobia – Islam as a political threat..
• “It is impossible to expect moral, intellectual and material well being where
Mohammedanism is supreme.” (Theodore Roosevolt)
• To summarise this point – The origin of Islamophobia is the opposition to Islamic
threat – attack on political threat.
• Fear of Islamic governance….Islamophobia constitutes the West….
• It is an ideological phenomena not Afghanistan; 9/11..

17. Part 2 – How do we account for return of
Islamophobia
• Global war on Terror
• War on Islam (Muslim World - Egypt, Tunisia)
• Islamic awakening – Islam is not secular – the awakening threatens to
destabilise and decentralise Colonialism.. opposes Capitalism..
• Firawn said Anna rabu kumul ala
• We are Allah centric..
• Islam is independent
• Islamic Awakening – against colonialism – Arab nationalism – socialism,
Baathism

18. Western hegemony could be under threat
• ….. In Marxist philosophy, cultural hegemony is the domination of a
culturally diverse society by the ruling class who manipulate the
culture of that society—the beliefs, explanations, perceptions,
values, and mores—so that their imposed, ruling-class worldview
becomes the accepted cultural norm; the universally valid…

19. • Today the authority is becoming dominant rather than leading
• Arab rulers dominate but don’t lead…
• Arabs themselves in the name of war on terror are supressing rise of
Islam…
• Nixon….their ideas canrt be afforded..Islamists are our enemies
• Trump – ban MB
• Huntington…Islam is the only civilisation that puts Western civilisation
at risk..

20. • Fukuyama warns of liberalisation of Europe due to weakness of
religious societies in Europe.
• Only Islam offers a theocratic state solution and alternative political
framework - in opposition to both liberalism and communism..
• Islam gives this alternative…Milestone of SQ---idea of disobedience.
return of Islam.

21. Final point - How do we articulate Islamic response?
• … recognise it as political/ideological challenge…
• Deal with origin of Islamophobia…its not terrorism
• Terrorism and violence is a methodology not ideology…
• State imposed violence ie Kashmir is not terrorism BUT resistance is..
• Violence is carried out in a structured way
• Russians in Chechnya
• Highlight…origins of West..need academic discussion

22. • 2…it’s a global phenomena… a civilizational challenge – Ummah level
response … not racial, ethnic
• Ibn Taymiyya talked about rigidity of Madhaib

23. • 3.. dealing with western machine…media, print, literature
• What is political Islam, how do we deal with terrorism---we have been
the. Biggest victims..
• Rise of ISIS, Bashar Asad, Sisi,
• Homegrown…..concerns of youth
Political response…
What about Erdogan, Morsi, IK, Malaysia