Dictionary meaning of Islamophobia is the fear, hatred of or prejudice against the Islamic religion or Muslims generally. Although the word reached “neologism” status in the 1970s, it reached public policy prominence with the report by the Runnymede Trust’s Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia (CBMI) entitled “Islamophobia – A Challenge for Us All” (1997). The introduction of the term was justified by the report’s assessment that “anti-Muslim prejudice has grown so considerably and so rapidly in recent years that a new item in the vocabulary is needed”. A study by the Pew Research Centre published in July 2016 shows the extent of animosity against Muslims in these Western countries.
STEREOTYPING OF MUSLIM WOMEN
Muslim women are brandished as victims of religious oppression. Islam is viewed as a highly male dominant religion that is only concerned with men and making the lives of women miserable. This outlook clearly stems from a place of deep sexism and misogyny, quite contradictory to the so-called “secular” values of Islamophobes. Muslim women are thought incapable of forming their own opinions and that conscious religious practice and mental strength or intelligence cannot coexist in a woman. The entire movement of Islamophobia is based on building bogus arguments, inaccurate and often manufactured facts that are manipulations taken out of context from religious scripts and sources. The mainstream media plays a huge role in playing this narrative of an oppressive Islam that deprives women of freedom and equality. The story of Hadiya is a solid example of how a grown woman was portrayed as being brainwashed into marriage and forced to choose a particular religion. But this young woman’s courage and dignity through the media storm is proof enough that excellence, strength and being steadfast on Islamic principles is instrumental in curbing hate.
HIGH VISIBILITY MAKES THEM MORE VULNERABLE
It has been statistically proven that one-third of victims of hate crimes in the West are Muslim women who are sporting the Hijab. By wearing the Hijab, Muslim women stand out very prominently in public places. Since they look different and wear different, they are perceived to be “not part of us” and “outlandish”. This naturally puts them on the frontline to encounter miffed looks, sneers, scoffs, jeers, lewd comments and sometimes outright physical violence. It really requires a lot of courage, calm and composure and tons of patience and determination to tide over this overtly aggressive and hostile behaviour. Dr Zubaida Haque, Deputy Director at the Runnymede Trust, a leading race equality think tank, is bang on target when she says: “Let’s call Islamophobia what it is – mainstream, anti-Muslim racism.”
FLIPPING LIBERTY ON ITS HEAD
The typical concept of Western freedom and liberty is epitomised by the uninhibited lifestyle of its women; be it in the manner they dress, travel or behave in the public domain. Modesty and modest dressing is perceived as old fashioned, medieval and “not modern” and a rejection of “western” way of life. It is another argument altogether that immodest dressing and a free and permissive culture leads to the “objectification” and exploitation of women. But by exercising her fundamental right to dress as she feels is appropriate, a Hijabi (Muslim woman wearing the headscarf) in the West turns liberty on its head. Writing for The Message-Canada in January 1995, Naheed Mustafa nails it when she says: “Women have always been expected to play some kind of role in every society. In North America, a great part of this role revolves around sex and the aura of sexuality. Any relationship involving men and women has some kind of sexual undertone. When a woman covers herself, she is rejecting that role, she is saying sex will have nothing to do with her public life. It is the fact that she has taken out of the discussion her physical self that people find so upsetting.”
HOW SHOULD MUSLIM WOMEN COUNTER ISLAMOPHOBIA?
First, since Muslim women are at the frontline of encountering Islamophobia, they deserve to voice their grievances and experiences by themselves. Men should take a back seat in expounding the women’s narrative. A victim’s voice usually tugs the heartstrings and efforts should be made to encourage Muslim men to allow their women to narrate their ordeals firsthand. Sidrah Ahmad, an Anti-VAW and anti-Islamophobia researcher and activist, has prepared a tool-kit (www.riversofhopetoolkit.ca) called “Rivers of Hope” to enable Muslim women to deal with what she terms as “Gendered Islamophobia”.
She describes various kinds of Islamophobic violence, survivor stories, impact of that violence, ways to access support and call helplines, tips on how to feel better after experiencing Islamophobic violence, what bystanders can do and some important dos and don’ts for supporting victims. This calls for work and support from the community, civil society and the government.
WOMEN AS AMBASSADORS OF ISLAM
Every Muslim, man and woman has been entrusted the responsibility of preaching the noble teachings of Islam to mankind. They must walk the talk for making their call to Islam meaningful and credible. Women can play a significant role in this. As we have discussed, Muslim women face the brunt of Islamophobia. But it also gives them more opportunity to present Islam to the uninitiated and those not aware of the natural, rational and logical guidance of Islam. Muslim women bear the burden of their faith on their “full length” sleeves and their headgear for which they truly deserve kudos and appreciation. It is their “jihad” whose recompense can only be “jannah”.