Rising Tide of Islamophobia in America

Friday, 03 September 2010 14:01

Today in America, Muslims are witnessing vicious political propaganda and attacks against Muslims and Islam, and these attacks are not confined to any particular area or region of the country rather they have induced a growing sense of Islamophobia in the population. These attacks against Islam and Muslims are coming from politicians, media commentators, social groups and even regular citizens. The rising tide of Islamophobia has ignited a series of events including  "Burn the Quran Day", rallies against Muslim conferences and mosques, vandalism of mosques across the nation, and currently the opposition against the Islamic Center being built in New York, the so called "Ground Zero" mosque. This fear-mongering has also resulted in the stabbing of a Muslim cab driver in New York simply because he was a Muslim.

What is clear from this ongoing rhetoric against Islam and the Muslims is that the principles of religious freedom and tolerance are preferentially applied when it comes to Muslims. Every insignia of Islam is under attack from the hijab to the Quran and mosques. The West has claimed superiority of its principles of religious freedom but what is clear from the current environment being created here in America (and in the West) is that this is mere sloganeering.

Many politicians who pleaded for the support of the Muslims for their electoral campaigns have now come out against Muslim issues. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have made vitriolic comments against Islam and Muslims, associating Islam with Nazism, Fascism and violence. Even, Barack Obama stopped short of supporting the construction of the so called "Ground Zero" mosque then did an about face while proclaiming the eminence of constitutional rights. Moreover, the current administration has not even taken a stance against the rising tide of Islamophobia and fear-mongering.

O Muslims!

We are being attacked regardless of the "labels" imposed on us, such as liberal, conservative, or extremists Muslims. We must not get entangled in these labels as we are part of a single Muslim Ummah that has the same Aqeedah and Shari’a.

We call upon all the Muslims in America to stand united and work together to counter these attacks on Islam. It is imperative for us to hold on to the Hukm Shari’ of Islam. We must not compromise on the principles, ideas and values of Islam. We must seek the support of Allah (swt) and the Muslims alone. We must fear Allah (swt) alone and obey Him (swt) in every aspect of our lives.

We call upon all the Masajid and Muslim organizations to remove the sense of fear that has unfortunately gripped the Muslim community. Also, we ask the Masajid and Muslim organizations to carry Islam as a way of life to the larger non-Muslim community.

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِؤُواْ نُورَ اللّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللّهُ إِلاَّ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

“They wish to extinguish the Light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah would not allow but that His Light to be perfected, even though the disbelievers may detest it.” [TMQ 9:32]

Hizb ut-Tahrir America
19th Ramadhan, 1431
08/29/2010