After the 9/11 attacks the name of Islam has been mentioned by terrorism around the world. Even Muslims is been perceived as a potential threat in the West. This perception has caused to exclusion of Muslims as ‘other’ and Islam was tried to isolate from international relations.
First of all, we have to know that what is Islamophobia? The term of Islamophobia occurs mainly two words: ‘Islam’ and ‘phobia’ (‘phobos’ in Greek) means ‘fear’ thereby it denotes together with these words prejudice against Muslims. The term history dates back to early 1990s but modern use hold on between 1980s and 1990s. It intensely came up with September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. As it is understand that Islamophobia is not a new phenomenon emerged in the West. There is an anti-Islamic attitude in the Western’s cultural codes.
Recently, in the United States and in Europe have experienced violent events caused by xenophobia and Islamic hatred. Latest protests against Muslims and other groups show that the West gradually has been drifting into mud. Islamophobia in the West has been transformed to a particular sector. About this issue different science books and many films has been published and broadcasted in the Western world. Society therefore was provoked by some politicians and media corporations who never want to integrate with Islam and Christianity within ‘clash of civilization’ insight.
Muslims actually work, study and live in the West and so there is no problem from this aspect. But if they want to attend political, economical and social life this time some people and environment are worrying about them. Muslims is been thought the near of violent. Professor John Esposito, for instance, claims that Islam “is often equated with political activism, extremism, fanaticism, terrorism, and anti-Americanism.” The Western scholars and society are and should know that Islam is a peace religion and there is no concept ‘other’ in its essence.
On the other hand, Islamic world have to be careful against provocations. In Libya, American ambassador was killed by extremist groups so called Muslims. One Muslim should not remember this kind of events and damage to Muslim’s identity. If we think that from this aspect there is no different Islamophobia and extremism!
Barbaric attitudes, discriminations, xenophobia should be condemned by Muslims in order to reach real right, values, status in the West but same wrongs never expose to other religion and ethnic groups.
