After more than two decades, the situation is still the same. Muslims are still being accused of extremism and terrorism. They are still trying hard to shift the burden of such an ugly accusation off their shoulders.
Some countries have woken up to the crisis (of Islamophobia). They have started realising that such phenomena would produce problems in the structure of societies which are based on the rule of law. But they require courage to confront it and acknowledge its existence and spread and not claim otherwise.
In January this year, Canada appointed (Amira Elghawaby as) its first special representative to combat Islamophobia. It is a position created after a series of recent attacks targeting Muslims in the country.
She has worked as an advocacy journalist, human rights activist, consultant, expert, and representative to support and promote the federal government’s efforts to combat Islamophobia, racism, racial discrimination, and religious intolerance.
The rise of some right-wing currents in many Western countries caused a widespread Islamophobia. This could have been avoided if the phenomenon was taken seriously and given the necessary importance so that the idea of rejecting the Muslim minority would not spread in society.
The example set by Canada may help in achieving some parts of the ultimate objective. It may help in trying to change the false image of the Muslim minority created over the decades. But it is not sufficient. It requires double efforts, before extremism generates a corresponding extremism.
[by Wafa Alloush in TRT Arabi]
Lebanon in Saudi-Iran Détente
As soon as the Saudi-Iran agreement was announced, the Lebanese forces started feeling its effects. In an initial reaction, it appeared as if each party was trying to reassure itself that it was the winner.
It is logical that such an agreement would result in optimism in Lebanon because the drowning person clings to straws in the hope that he will survive. It is known that Saudi Arabia and Iran are the poles of attraction for two main groups which fight over the fate of Lebanon and its position in the region.
It is still too early to translate the effects of the agreement into Lebanon. Lebanon is not at the top of the list in the agenda related to the paths which Saudi Arabia and Iran will take to implement the agreement. The forces involved in the Iranian axis are betting that this agreement will quickly reflect positively on their political options. It is a new victory added to the list of victories of Hezbollah which will give it more and more monopoly in decisions and help it in forcing its choices on the rest of the parties.
Time is an important factor for reading the folds of the negotiations which led to the “Beijing Document” signed by Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is not enough to rely on what the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah announced in this regard. We should stop at a golden useful sentence that “respecting the sovereignty of states and not Interfering in its affairs”.
[by Sana Aljak in Sky News Arabia]
Compiled and translated by Faizul Haque