Post-9/11 prejudice and discrimination
The human race has always faced the challenges of extremism and discrimination that have threatened the equality and fraternity among the people across the globe. The history of the world has witnessed many harrowing incidents that have scarred the civilizations with bloodshed and acts of violence. Human race has become the greatest enemy of itself. While previously there were holy crusades and holocaust- all based on religious boundaries and biases, the modern world is also inflicted by the “opium of the masses”- religion. In the modern times, the world has seen a constant friction between the Western world and the Middle East. To delve deeper, this conflict can be comprehended as the clash between Christianity and Islam.
The instances of communal attacks and hatred reached its zenith with the 9/11 incident that took away the lives of thousands of innocent Americans who had nothing to do with the conflict. The world has still not recovered from the trauma of the incident. However, many other instances of terrorism that has its roots in religious conflict have taken place all over the globe after the harrowing day of 9/11.
It has to be noted that massive amount of terrorist attacks are carried out all over the world by the terrorist organizations. There are several Muslim extremist organizations that plan and execute the vicious attacks on human kind in the name of religion. Not only the Western countries, but countries like India and Bangladesh are also victimized by the terrorist organizations. The explanation on the part of these organizations is that they are engaged in jihad or the holy war against the unholy people of the world.
The Muslim extremists want the omnipotence and hegemony of the Muslim population across the globe. Their outlook is obviously too narrow and flawed. Bloodshed cannot be a way of establishing a peaceful ambiance for the Muslim population across the world. In stark contrast to the ambitions of hegemony and omnipotence, the acts of violence and extremist perspective of these organizations tarnish the entire community in the eyes of the non-Muslims.
Muslims are discriminated as extremists and dangerous in many parts of the world. The nation of America, being one of the most hapless victims of the terrorist attacks, has become doubly cautious while dealing with the Muslim population. Although the perspective taken by the masses in the West might seem to be a step towards ensuring safety, the other facet of the matter is the prejudice and discrimination against the Muslims of the world post 9/11.
The bias regarding the Muslims has led them to face harassment and trauma at the hands of the non-Muslims in the Western nations. However, this discriminatory perspective can in no way promote peace for the human kind in the nations. This will alleviate the milieu of distrust, and would trigger more tension among the communities.
The Muslim population would think that they are being treated as outsiders in a nation owing to their minority in number. Such a view of matter on their part would make the situation worse as they would start to think themselves to be victims of bias without being involved in any sort of terrorist activities. Such a kind of bias and discrimination also does not conform to the basic right of equal status and freedom for the Muslim people. Thus, they might start to see the extremist forces that are in reality nothing but organizations of criminality as being correct in tagging the non-Muslims as the enemies of the Islamic people. The entire motive of creating a peaceful place for the world population to live in would be thwarted badly in such a case.
In fact, such acts of discrimination work as a catalyst in the rise of radical Islam across the globe. To view the condition of Muslims in an Eastern country, India, one can conclude that they are marginalized and discriminated. Interestingly, in India also the Muslim population comprises of only 12 percent of the entire population. There are Hindu groups like RSS and VHP that continue to promote anti-Islamic opinions among the non-Muslims of the nation. There have been incidents of Islamic manslaughter during the Gujarat riots. The Babri Masjid was broken down by a Hindu group- something that marks a dark chapter of the national history. But, post 9/11 in countries outside America also the Muslims are facing more bias from the people of other communities. “The result has been a gradual segregation of Muslims away from the mainstream and a sense of isolation and backwardness in the Muslim community.” (Rabassa p.310)
“The media bias against the Muslim diaspora has had a direct impact on the spread of social stigmatization and discrimination against Muslims in European countries.” (Cesari p.46) If such a milieu is not curbed, it has the potential of unsettling the situation of coherence of the society and people all across the European countries. The countries need to understand that such exclusion and discrimination instills a sense of isolation and insecurity among the Muslim diaspora. In Europe, the introduction of citizenship tests has triggered off a debate if it is conducted in the fear of the newcomers to the land.
In the wake of such biased perspective and discrimination, the Islamic jihadis take the onus on their shoulders to liberate the world from the clutches of the infidels. The extremist Muslims assemble and aim to reach Islamic hegemony all over the world through their acts of violence against the non-Muslims. However, these people misinterpret the concept of jihad. They forget the fact that the fight against the infidels is considered to be lesser jihad in the religion of Islam. In stark contrast, living a life of piety and going through that struggle to become pure is considered to be greater jihad in Islam. The people need to understand that killing innocent people who probably might have never taken part in any discriminatory act is in no way pious.
What the extremists are doing by indulging in violence and attacks is that they are tarnishing the image of the entire community in the eyes of the rest of the world. The people who belong to the other communities are taking these acts of terrorism as the prototypical attitude of the Muslims as aggressive and extremists. The Islamic terrorist groups are erroneously taken to be microcosm of the Islamic mentality toward the non-Muslims- something that is very dangerous for the cause of human unity all over the world.
In the very first week after the 9/11 attacks as many as “645 separate bias incidents were directed toward Americans perceived to be of Middle Eastern descent.” (Peek p.32) Thus, it is clear that apart from spreading fear in the minds of the non-Muslims, the attacks also instilled hatred and bias against the Muslims among people of other communities. As many as 700 violent incidents were documented that targeted the Arab American in the span of first nine weeks after the horrific attack. “Human Rights Watch cited more than 2000 backlash-related crimes against Arabs, Muslims, and other minority citizens and immigrants.” (Peek p.32)
In such a scenario, the non-Muslims are bound to feel threatened by the attacks. They might apprehend such attacks inflicted on them. This adds to the ambiance of distrust and bias among the people belonging to other communities. Thus, it is the need of the hour to comprehend that the situation is the biggest threat to communal harmony and human unity all over the world. Acts of violence on either part cannot be the way out. Neither inflicting terror among the non-Muslims would help the cause of Islam, nor would discrimination against the Islamic people help the non-Muslims in any way.
Rather, there has to be a milieu of cooperation and respect among the people of various religious communities, so that there can be harmony among the people. The ambition of human race should be to tread on the path of holistic advancement. Such occurrences of violence and bias are unhealthy for the development of the human kind. Discrimination and extremism cannot bring prosperity in any way, and would take back the race to the times of warfare and animosity. It would, thus, impede the well-being of Islamic as well as non-Islamic people.
Works Cited
Cesari, Jocelyne, ed. Muslims in the West After 9/11: Religion, Politics and Law. New York:
Routledge, 2010. Print.
Kepel, Gilles. Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2002. Print.
Khan, M.A. Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism, and Slavery.
Bloomington: iUniverse, 2009. Print.
Peek, Lori. Behind the Backlash: Muslim Americans After 9/11. Pennsylvania: Temple
Rabasa, Angel, ed. The Muslim World After 9/11. Pittsburgh: RAND Corporation, 2004. Print.
Taras, Raymond. Xenophobia and Islamophobia in Europe. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
Press Ltd., 2012. Print.
