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Reflections from a European Perspective on Intolerance towards Muslims
by Ambassador Ömür Orhun,
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims
In March of this year the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and the British Council co-hosted in the Morrison Hotel a Roundtable Discussion on Issues Facing British and Irish Muslims. The Roundtable Discussion closed with the following Reflections from Ambassador Ömür Orhun.
We live in a globalized world. Different forms and shapes of globalization have changed our societies and have brought about new challenges. One of these challenges is ignorance; ignorance about the other; ignorance of other peoples, cultures, religions. And ignorance leads to fear, mostly based on false premises. Ignorance of this kind can only be overcome through dialogue, education and understanding. Coming to the topic on hand, I would like to make some closing reflections based on five I’s and one F.
I- Image of Islam and Muslims in the West:
Although there are some who argue to the contrary, I reject the notion that Islam is the enemy of the Western civilization. In that respect, it must also be underlined that Islam and Muslims are not a monolithic entity prone to all kinds of extremism. On the other hand, we have to make a distinction between those who claim that Islam is a threat to the West, and those who advocate that Islam is a challenge to the West. As one of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam of course is not a threat; but it may be a challenge, since Islam and Islamic countries have the potential of coming to terms with the modern contemporary world. In that sense, the Islamic world is in a vibrant process of recovering its true identity and intellectual heritage. In short, Islam and Muslims cannot be considered as a distant phenomenon, but their presence in the West is now an undeniable fact.
II- Identification of the Problem:
Despite all efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights, acts related to racism, xenophobia and discrimination, as well as related intolerance persist in all societies. The resurgence of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, especially after September 11, coupled with related racist tendencies challenge the exercise of fundamental human rights and freedoms of Muslims particularly in the Western countries. In spite of tangible progress in elimination of institutionalized and structured forms of discrimination, many countries still experience new and mounting waves of bias, exclusion and violence against Muslim groups and peoples. Different international organizations have recognized the need to struggle against all forms and manifestations of discrimination and intolerance, and have significantly strengthened their profile in this respect. As I just mentioned, Muslim communities in Western Europe and North America are experiencing an increasingly hostile environment towards them. This environment is characterized by suspicion and prejudice at times going back to history; ignorance; negative or patronizing imaging; discrimination including in housing and employment; stereotyping all Muslims or Islam in general as “terrorist, violent or otherwise unfit”; lack of provision, recognition and respect for Muslims in public institutions; and attacks, abuse, harassment and violence directed against person perceived to be Muslim and against mosques, Muslim property and cemeteries. Although personally I do not like that term, this phenomena is called Islamophobia, which can also be defined in short as “fear or suspicion of Islam, Muslims and matters pertaining to them”. Islamophobia has existed for a very long time, albeit in a rather subdued form, and is deeply rooted in prejudice. However, it became a topical issue since 2001, with devastating effects not only on the lives of the Muslim communities, but also on the societies where they live. Islamophobia, whether in the shape of intolerance and discrimination, or whether in the form of violence, is a violation of human rights and is a threat to social and political cohesion. It is obvious that Islamophobia is seen in countries where Islam is not observed by the majority of the population. All major international human rights organizations have recognized that negative connotations of Islamophobia may lead to exclusion and self-exclusion of especially younger generations, with obvious negative results in terms of self esteem and social integration. It is also acknowledged that, persistent forms of Islamophobia and in particular its repercussions through the mass media represent a threat to peace, stability and democracy.
III- Identification of the root-causes:
a) Structural root-causes:- Formal relations or lack of such relations between the State and the Muslim communities - A vicious circle – or catch 22: “lack of proper knowledge of the language of the country of residence, improper housing, improper or insufficient education, leading to unequal access to the labor market” - Net result: sense of being rejected, stigmatization, marginalization, leading to lack of confidence in the State. (Such people are more prone to crime and illegal activities, as well as more susceptible to radical propaganda.)
b) Perceptional and behavioral root-causes:
- prejudice - also against persons perceived to be Muslim
- negative sentiments and display of such sentiments
- media coverage - misrepresentation
- political discourse - especially by the far right, but recently by moderates also. (In order to illustrate this phenomenon, let me quote from an editorial published in the International Herald Tribune late last year: “Europe appears to be crossing an invisible line regarding its Muslim minorities: More people in the political mainstream are arguing that Islam can not be reconciled with European values…For years, those who raised their voices were mostly on the far right. Now those normally seen as moderates – ordinary people as well as politicians – are asking whether once unquestioned values of tolerance and multiculturalism should have limits. ‘It has become politically correct to attack Islam, and this is making it hard for moderates on both sides to remain reasonable.”)
c) Discriminatory practices:
- first point: no reliable monitoring (and in some countries only discrimination related to race is monitored)
- a striking example of discrimination is the loyalty (or conscience) tests applied only to Muslims who want to acquire citizenship
- as mentioned before, housing and employment are two major areas where discrimination occurs (not even considering Muslim sounding names for job interviews)
- lack of proper places of worship and burial facilities
- headscarf ban in restaurants and other such public places
- police practices –search and arrest; customs entry procedures, etc.
- harassment, vandalism and attacks only because he/she is a Muslim or perceived as such.
IV- Identification of the Remedies:
a) The historical, cultural and psychological depth of the issue of discrimination and intolerance needs always to be taken into full consideration.
b) A sound normative framework to combat intolerance and discrimination both in the international and national fora does exist; what is needed is to put this normative framework into full use and implementation.
c) There is also a need for an intellectual and ethical strategy to avoid political exploitation of the issues related to discrimination and intolerance.
d) Discrimination and intolerance against Muslims is not only a matter of discrimination against a specific religious group, but it also deeply affects international relations as well as the internal stability of Western societies. As such, it is a multifaceted question and must be addressed through a holistic approach.
e) Various forms of intolerance and discrimination need not be subject to an artificial hierarchy. Discrimination is discrimination and must be condemned and dealt with whatever the underlying motive might be. Within this framework, there should be complementarity between efforts dealing with different forms of discrimination.
f) The quality of life of Muslims living in Western societies must be improved. This will lead to better understanding and better integration, thus to lessening of mutual mistrust.
g) Muslims should not be seen as second class citizens, must not be demonized, marginalized, feared or despised.
h) The war on terror must not become a war on Muslims.
i) It should be recognized that Muslims have the same basic needs and desires as others, which are material well-being, cultural acceptance and religious freedom, without political or social intimidation. In that vein, Muslims should not be marginalized or attempted to be assimilated, but should be accommodated. Accommodation is the best strategy for integration.
V- Implementation:
Having the best doctor to diagnose a sickness, undertaking a thorough medical check-up to understand the pathological history of the patient and agreeing on the best treatment is of course not enough. One must administer these drugs efficiently and timely to cure the sickness. Therefore, first of all governments, societies and peoples must recognize the problem and be ready and willing to adopt a multifaceted approach. Secondly, they must take account of the importance of the intellectual front in the fight against intolerance and discrimination against Muslims and devise a sound strategy in the fields of value systems and perceptions. Thirdly, they must define hate crimes broadly and address the information deficit. (That is to say, collect, analyze and disseminate information related to hate crimes) Fourth, they must enact adequate legislation and implement this legislation effectively. In conjunction with national legislation, they should also implement international commitments and agreed norms. Fifth, clear criteria for reporting and registering of hate crimes must be established and reporting of hate crimes must be encouraged. Sixth, they should build the capacity of Muslim communities and civil society organizations and try to enable them to work with local and national authorities. In this respect, community outreach programs will be of great use in confidence building and in creating community cohesion. (Sense of living together.)
Another point that deserves utmost importance is education. Especially younger generation should be provided with educational programs that would foster tolerance, understanding and respect to “the other.” Related to education is of course training of law enforcement officials. Furthermore, in the field of public discourse related to Muslims and Islam, two points need to be underlined:
a) Political rhetoric: Responsible politicians, both of the government and of the opposition, must underline the
importance of correct and unbiased discourse and should also refrain from hate speech and other manifestations of extremism and discrimination. A message of encouraging tolerance, non-discrimination, understanding and respect to all must be voiced.
b) The media: The media can play a positive role in promoting inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and harmony. This is what is expected from responsible journalism. On the other hand, the media may also play a very negative and divisive role in projecting wrong and inaccurate messages. Therefore, with due respect to the freedom of expression, governments can assist or encourage creation of self-regulatory media bodies to deal with manifestations of discrimination and racism.
Finally, integration policies. The more Muslim communities will feel at home and will be truly integrated to the Western societies where they live, the easier it will be to marginalize extremism, to defuse radicalism and to overcome the perceptions of being left-out, being stigmatized and being rejected. It is argued, and rightly so, that Europe has not been successful in its bid for integration. While the objective was to create multi-cultural societies, instead parallel, but mutually exclusive societies were born. How to remedy this situation, which can also be characterized as cultural ghettos for Muslims? I believe civic and structural integration is the answer. Muslim migrants must have a sense of being part of the larger community in which they live, take part in all parts of life and participate in the decision making process. In other words, creating cohesive societies, where mutual understanding between diverse groups will facilitate not only the promotion of tolerance, but more importantly mutual respect for differing view points and backgrounds. The key word here is “mutual”. The Muslim communities, on the other hand, must shoulder their share of the burden, adopt the civic values of their new societies and distance themselves from radicalism and terrorism. The real threat to tolerance and to multi-cultural societies emanates from the extremes of both groups. And here the governments and the public must remain vigilant. For peaceful co-existence to become a reality we must reach those groups who do not wish to engage in dialogue and we must educate those who do not wish to learn or understand or accept the diversity that characterizes the Western societies.
VI- Finally, follow-up:
The current political agenda is very much dominated by the necessity to ensure peaceful coexistence between different ethnic, racial and religious groups. As such, our operational instruments must be geared towards reducing and eventually eliminating discrimination as a source of tension, while promoting tolerance. In that respect, a sound follow-up of the measures enumerated above is a must. The first thing we must do should be reaching out across the barricades that exist or that some want to place between the Muslim communities and the rest.
We should avoid being at the wrong end of racism and Islamophobia. We should recognize that even cruel words and dismissive gestures are instrumental in creating barricades of prejudice. As the former Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan stated, we must “unlearn intolerance.” No one can or should be neutral in the fight against intolerance and discrimination.
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