Stem the rising Islamophobia

Certain Western political and religious leaders along with members of the media are engaged in stirring up public opinion against Islam. Whether this is intentional or not is besides the point. It must be stemmed, if Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilisations" is to be prevented.

One of the latest onslaughts appeared in an op-ed article published by the French daily Le Figaro. Written by Robert Redeker, the article accused Islam of "exalting violence" and viciously slandered both the Quran and the Prophet.

But the problem goes much deeper. George W. Bush's September 2001 use of the word "crusade" prompted anger among Muslims due to its connotations. Soon after, the Reverend Franklin Graham, a preacher close to the White House, labelled Islam "a very evil and wicked religion".

In 2004, the Dutch columnist and director Theo van Gogh released the film Submission showing verses from the Quran painted on women's bodies. A year later, there were cartoon depictions of the Prophet published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Five years on from that terrible day in September 2001 the attacks on Islam continue unabated.

Renewed assault

On August 10, 2006, George W. Bush told the American people that "this nation is at war with Islamic fascists". A renewed assault came just a month later from an unlikely quarter, Pope Benedict XVI. They must have realised the effect their statements would have on Muslims. Did they even care?

Last month, British Prime Minister Tony Blair rejected a leaked US National Intelligence assessment suggesting the Iraq war has led to a mushrooming of jihadist ideology. Instead he blamed "a warped and perverted view of Islam".

Blair just doesn't get it (or pretends not to). Muslim rage is generated by ongoing Palestinian suffering and the invasion and occupation of Iraq, as numerous official reports suggest. The above are just the tip of the iceberg.

Reports allege that US prison guards have disrespected the Quran. Muslims are being ousted from airplanes on the say-so of nervous passengers who object to T-shirts printed in Arabic or bearded Muslim men. In September, the British Home Secretary John Reid lectured British Muslims on how to raise their children.

"Talk to them before their hatred grows…" he said. Then recently, Jack Straw, a former British cabinet member, added to religious tensions by calling the veil "a visible statement of separation and difference".

Would Reid have been so condescending to Jewish or Christian parents? Would Straw have dared label a Sikh turban, a nun's habit or a Jewish skullcap as a "statement of separation"?

Western intellectuals often view the attacks on Islam through the prism of free speech. They contend that nothing is above criticism or discussion and try to colour Muslims who object to insults against their core beliefs as unreasonable reactionaries, troublemakers or even the favoured mot de jour "terrorists".

Nobody can or should attempt to condone violence in response to words spoken in ignorance. Those who resort to that are merely adding grist to the mill of Islam's detractors. But most Muslims are deeply hurt when their beliefs are reviled. For them, Islam is a way of life and being.

Critics should also take into account the heightened sensitivities of Muslims at a time when their countries are occupied by Western powers that seek to forcibly redesign the Middle East.

Limits

When it comes to the issue of free speech, we must consider this. Would the rights of those who condemn Islam and insult the Prophet be upheld with such fervour were similar offensive statements being made against Judaism rather than Islam?

Free speech is a wonderful thing but even in the west it has its limits as anyone who cried "fire" in a crowded theatre, publicly called for the elimination of the President or denigrated the Holocaust would soon discover.

Muslims should take into account East-West cultural differences, while keeping a wary eye on political machinations. They must understand that the type of slurs that hurt Muslims to the core would not necessarily have the same effect on Westerners were their religions maligned.

To avert a widening chasm between the world's l.4 billion Muslims and the rest of the planet, Muslim leaders must use any reasonable means to deter the snowballing of anti-Islamic assaults sanctioned by governments.

Their silence is in part due to the current political and military vulnerabilities of some Muslim states. It's doubtful whether the terms "fascists" or "evil ideology" would be used by contemporary Western leaders in relation, say, to China or Russia.

Britain's Prince Charles wants to be "Defender of all Faiths" when he becomes king. It's a sentiment worthy of being emulated by all and that includes the leaders of both the Islamic and Western world.

Khalaf Al Habtoor is a businessman and chairman of Al Habtoor Group.