Since last weeks #Paris attacks, every Tom, Dick and Haroon have been giving their two bits worth on the #CharlieHebdo affair. There have been some very intellectually balanced discussions and some complete ignorant rants where previously concealed bigoted and racist views have been allowed to jump out of the closets of many who outwardly portray themselves as tolerant. The right wing brigades in the world over have exploited the affair in an unrelenting wave of Islamophobic tweets, posts and messages- pushing the narrative that all Muslims are the same- violent beings that need to conform to a set of obscurely defined British values or forfeit the right to stay in their host countries. The government is poised on the verge of running through its new counter terrorism and security bill which will impact Muslims and their civil liberties. When you have the head of media corporations Rupert Murdoch irresponsibly holding all Muslims accountable for the actions of a few- it comes as no surprise that his papers report the same types of views that vilify Muslims and oxygenate right wing mentality on a mass scale. The net result is a global increase in attacks on Muslims...mostly women who look visibly Muslim as they make easy targets for bigoted cowards. The screen shots below are from two Muslim women who were threatened in the last couple of days..one just a few short hours ago as she waited for her taxi. I dont personally use public transport as have always driven, but I am extremely concerned about the backlash of the Paris Attacks and how that affects people in my community. I have witnessed the short tempers, exasperation and impatience on the road of racist and intimidating individuals who feel that they can let off this steam on visible Muslims (Ie those in traditional Islamic dress) because they are taking a media/public/government bashing anyway so its ok to do so. IT IS NOT! We pride ourselves on being a tolerant nation so we must stamp out this racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia at the outset! Out of the Sydney cafe shooting emerged a beautiful example of tolerance, empathy and humanity in the form of normal decent human beings- religious and those of no faith coming together to say NO to hate and intolerance with the hashtag #illRideWithYou and offering support to their Muslim community members who had been the subject of reprisals after the attacks there. Today, as I ponder on the sporadic attacks taking place at an alarming rate, I worry that although I can take care of myself- there are many in our community who cant defend themselves against these types of attacks- and it is only a matter of time before things go from verbal to physical. This has already started. I ask you all to remain vigilant. Uphold riteousness and peace. If you see something happening or someone vulnerable being attacked on the basis of their race or religion- stand up for whats right. Everyone must remain alert and mindful of those members of our community. I also want to start a new hashtag- #YouCanRideWithMe This is aimed mostly for us women in the community but the guys can also support vulnerable male members of the community. If you know a sister has to wait at a bus stop alone or an elderly person has to walk somewhere where they may be susceptible to opportunistic bigots who can harm them...give them a lift. Make an effort to ask neighbours and friends/ work colleagues and family if they feel safe travelling alone- they may not have the courage to ask anyone if they are anxious or worried. Make the intention for it to be your charitable deed of the day. Islam teaches us the value of charity being one of the great tenets of our deen. Lets exercise this more regularly. I hope that everyone here will take this on board and we as a community look after each other as best as we can in these difficult times. What does not destroy us...can only make us stronger! Let us stand firm in the face of those who would seek to divide us. One final point- it is so important for members of the public to report any hate crime- we cannot tackle this growing trend of Islamophobia if people do not come forward and report it to the right authorities. You can also consult the team at WWW.MEND.ORG.UK who are working around the clock to challenge this phenomenon. May Allah swt protect us all and help us to become a cohesive and peaceful society where peace prevails over wickedness...Ameen Good night and MaAsalaama....
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 01:15:21 +0000
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