ISLAMOPHOBIA OR ISLAMOPHILIA?

23 March, 2008-03-23

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/03/23/10199480.html

In today’s edition of the Gulf News, there is an interesting article entitled “An end to Islamophobia” and the attempts by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference [OIC] to address the distorted perceptions of Islam in “the west”. Dr. Ahmad Mustafa [a London-based Arab writer] points out: “…you can never persuade those politicians or media in the West to turn from Islamophobia to Islamophilia, let alone hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the globe intoxicated by the vilification campaign. That does not mean Muslims have to give up and surrender to the fate the West wants for them. It seeks to portray them as the main enemy of modernity and civilisation”.

Just yesterday, I stumbled across some blog sites where the same kind of ignorant blarney is spouted from cyber soap boxes. One thing is sure, since my reversion to Islam, I have personally experienced the painful liberation of my own prejudices against Muslims. Religious belief is not something that is on the periphery of our sense of self. It is smack in the middle of who we are, since it defines our essential human nature and, in this sense, it becomes our point of reference for a theoretical and practical anthropology. It is just plain irresponsible and unintelligent to propagate anti-religious sentiments of any sort. Those who do so should expect an instinctive knee-jerk jab on the jaw. The Holy Qur’an reminds us that we are all the creatures of a benevolent and generous God, and it seems high time that we all remind ourselves of this noble truth: “O mankind! Remember the Grace of Allah upon you! Is there any Creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky (rain) and the earth? La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turning away (from Him)?” (سورة فاطر, Fatir, Chapter 35, Verse 3).