A Legitimate Response of Muslims towards Islamophobia

Muhammad Yaseen Naseem; Samraiz Hafeez

Muhammad Yaseen Naseem Middle East Institute, University of Sakarya, Turkey
Samraiz Hafeez University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Keywords: Islamophobia, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Islamophobia observatory, International commitments, legitimate response

Abstract

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The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is a vocal inter-governmental organization of Muslim member states. It sets its own policy agenda and it established an Islamophobia Observatory in 2007 in its Directorate of Cultural, Social, and Family Affairs. The observatory works in the constituency of Cultural Affairs Department. It
monitors and publishes the magnitude and state of Islamophobia observed across the world. Since 2007, it has published several observatory reports, monthly bulletins, and research articles in OIC journals on key incidents of discrimination, hate crimes, and stigmatization of Muslims as intolerant, radicals, violent, and terrorists across the world, particularly in the three continents of Europe, North America, and Australia. This research paper is based on the content analysis of the annual reports of Islamophobia Observatory, which has been exercised independently to observe the role of OIC to address Islamophobia as a legitimate response of the Muslim world. This study highlights the fact that Islamophobia Observatory has presented its every
observatory report to the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) of OIC member states, which has responded to the issue at various levels. OIC is also addressing this issue at global level. Therefore, OIC has been successful in making Islamophobia a part of international discourse of human rights. Now, it is known as a social evil and its stakeholders have started mitigating it through proper institutional coordination at all levels.

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References

23Prof. Ekmeledin Ihsanoğlu, Speech of His Excellency Prof. Ekmeledin Ihsanoğlu Secratory
General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Accessed April 16, 2016. http://www.oicoci.org/baku2006/english/sg-speech.htm.
24Islamophobia Observatory, “1
st OIC Observatory Report on Islamophobia (May 2007 to
May 2008),” (Kampala: Organization of Islamic Conference, 2008), 1-56, http://ww1.oicoci.org/uploads/file/Islamphobia/islamphobia_rep_may_07_08.pdf
25This Directorate is divided into two Departments named Social and Family Affairs
Department, and Cultural Affairs Department. It is responsible for dealing of cultural affairs of
Muslim communities in all over the world. It studies and conducts intercultural and interfaith dialogue
as it has organized United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. It tries to tackle the challenges of
Islamophobia; protection and preservation of Islamic Sites, particularly an Islamic character of alQuds.
26Dr. Isam Salim Shanti, (editor), “Islamophobia: Looking at the Causes and and Ways to
tackle Them,” The OIC Journal (2006) Accessed April 10, 2016. http://www.oicoci.org/english/article/islamophobia.htm
5.1.Observations from May 2007 to May 2008
• Third official report of “European Commission against Racism and Intolerance”
(2007) described that The Netherlands had led the European countries in its
special trends of Islamophobia.
• A Dutch Parliamentarian released a film titled Fitna, which had highly
blasphemous content.
• Seventeen Danish newspapers published blasphemous content about Qur’ān and
cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).27
• World Economic Forum reported (2008) that Europeans felt threatened by
interaction with Muslims with a certain ratio, such as Denmark (79%), Spain
(68%), Netherland and Italy (67%), Sweden (65%), Belgium (59%).
• Member of Parliament of far-right political party titled Freedom Party in the
Netherlands named Geert Wilders demanded for banning Holy Qur’ān, mosque
and immigration of Muslims in the country.
• Danish People’s Party used a caricature of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in its
election campaign.
• A candidate of Freedom Party of Austria abused the family of Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) and Islam.
• An Italian coordinator of Northern League organized a march titled ‘Pig Day
against new Mosques.’
• ‘Swiss People’s Party’ (the largest party at Swiss Parliament) launched a
campaign for banning the minarets of mosques and did propaganda that Muslims
are tolerable until they are invisible.
• Deputy Director of ‘International Race Relations and Editor of European Race
Bulletin’ published an article titled “Cultural Cleansing?” She wrote that political
and religious leadership of Europeans have been fed up from separate identity and
culture of Muslims.
• Freedom Center (USA) organized an anti-Islam campaign titled ‘Islamo-Fascism
Awareness Week’ at almost two hundred higher education institutions in USA.28
5.2. Observations from June 2008 to April 2009
• Institute of Race Relations (IRR) reported that Labor Party, Socialist Party and
Party of Freedom had launched campaigns for removing minarets and building
large mosques in the Netherlands.