jfid – Europe, the continent that claims to be the center of world civilization, apparently still harbors ancient maladies that gnaw at its soul.
This malady is called Islamophobia, which is the fear, hatred, or discrimination against Islam, Muslims, and Islamic culture.
Islamophobia is not a new phenomenon, but it has existed since the time of the Crusades when European knights sought to seize the holy land from the hands of Muslims.
However, Islamophobia is increasingly ablaze in the 21st century, in tandem with rising political, economic, and social tensions in Europe.
Islamophobia in Europe manifests in various forms, ranging from physical, verbal, to online attacks on properties, places of worship, and Muslims, especially those displaying their religious identity such as women wearing hijab or niqab.
Moreover, Islamophobia is also evident in policies or laws that indirectly target or adversely affect Muslims, limiting their religious freedoms, such as bans on wearing visible religious and cultural symbols, laws against face coverings, and restrictions on building mosques with minarets.
Not only that, Islamophobia is also seen in public statements by some journalists and politicians, from across the political spectrum, who stigmatize Muslims as a group and overlook their positive contributions to the societies and countries where they live.
Islamophobia in Europe is triggered by public anxiety about immigration and the integration of Muslim minorities into the majority culture in Europe. This tension is exacerbated by the impact of the 2007 economic crisis and the emergence of populist nationalist politicians.
This tension is further exacerbated by terrorist attacks carried out by Muslim extremists. In an increasingly diverse climate in Europe, Muslim minorities are portrayed as undeserving and wanting to separate themselves from other communities.
Government policies fail to ensure equal rights for all, leading to most Muslim minorities facing unemployment, poverty, and limited civil and political participation, all of which worsen discrimination.
Minorities are often scapegoated during economic and political crises. Islam and the approximately 20 million Muslims living in the European Union are portrayed by some as a threat to the European way of life, even in countries where they have lived for centuries.
Myths about “Islamization” or the invasion of Europe have been fostered by xenophobic and populist parties gaining ground across Europe.
Ironically, Europe, which considers itself a pioneer of human rights, democracy, and tolerance, is actually violating these values by ostracizing and criminalizing its own citizens of different beliefs.
Europe, claiming to be the heir of Greco-Roman civilization, has forgotten the intellectual and cultural heritage it received from Islam and Muslims. Europe, which claims to be a pioneer in science and technology, has overlooked the contributions and influence of Islam and Muslims in fields such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and architecture.
Europe, claiming to be a pioneer in art and literature, has turned a blind eye to the richness and beauty of Islam and Muslims in areas such as poetry, music, calligraphy, and visual arts.
Thus, Islamophobia is a sign that Europe is heading towards a dark age, a time when Europe loses the light of knowledge, culture, and humanity.
Islamophobia is a sign that Europe is closing itself off from the world and from a better future. Islamophobia is a sign that Europe is blind.
