Combating Islamophobia 101

On Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, people from youth organizations throughout the world had the opportunity to come together to discuss ideas about diversity and youth at Gothenburg’s Museum of World Culture. The Conference, “Including Diversity: Youth Perspectives on Security, Peace and Democracy,” was a success. One of the most highly attended workshops dealt specifically with misconceptions of Islam.

Shaista Khan, a six-year member and representative for Sweden Young Muslims, led the workshop “Dealing with Misconceptions of Islam and the West.” Born and raised in Sweden, Khan told me before the workshop that she understood discrimination because her Islamic values are visible through her dress. She noted that she “could relate to how [discrimination] would feel as a black person” because “it is based on exterior /visible factors,” although racial and religious discrimination also differ.

Khan, reflecting the participants’ enthusiasm, had high expectations and appeared confident just before she initiated one of the weekend’s first workshops. “I expect people to be a bit more understanding here, because they come from different experiences and are already working in civil society. It’s not such a homogeneous group,” she said.

During the workshop, students took part in a “hot seat” exercise where they got up and moved to another seat to illustrate they understood the basic points of Communism, Christianity, Islam, and Feminism. It became evident that out of a group of about 30, most people understood the basic points of communism, but only four people could explain the basic points of Islam. This fact led to a discussion.

In a perfect American accent, Khan explained to the group that there are over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today, or roughly 25% of the world’s population. Despite the presence of Islam in the world, information does not get through to those in the West. A survey done in Sweden in 2004 illustrated just that: two thirds of the Swedes polled from across the country felt that “Islamic values were not compatible with Western values.” In the same study, it was found that “40% of Swedes did not want mosques built in Sweden, and 53% were against women wearing headscarves.”

Ironically, she noted, the same study found that more than 60% of the Swedish population “had little or no knowledge about Islam.” This blend of high fear with little knowledge creates a new phenomenon called “Islamophobia,” or the irrational fear and prejudice towards Islam and Muslims. “Is there any wonder,” Khan asked students, “why Islamophobia exists in Sweden today?”

In the discussion that followed, one student noted that while many countries currently remove laws that discriminate against some groups, some laws have recently become blatantly discriminatory towards Muslim people. Decisions made by people and the leaders of nations are based on fear and strongly affect Muslims’ rights, whether while travelling or at home: even in Sweden.

French schools, for example, do not allow Muslim girls to wear headscarves but have allowed exceptions for people of other faiths. One student in the workshop gave an example of being stopped at the airport because “they saw my Muslim name in my passport.” Additionally, discrimination against Muslims is clear because mosques throughout Sweden and Europe are regularly monitored.

Where discrimination exists, the problem is most likely simple: “People do not know what it is to be Muslim, and they do not understand the Muslim lifestyle,” said Khan. Lack of knowledge only feeds ignorance; it’s through understanding and tolerance that diversity is achieved. At the conclusion of the workshop, Khan encouraged students to go out and learn more about Islam if they knew little, and encourage their friends and family to do the same.

To read more about Sweden Young Muslims, go to www.ungamuslimer.nu .

Anne Arnold                                                                            anne.arnold06@globalverkstan.net