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9Th OIC Observatory Report on Islamophobia

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9Th OIC Observatory Report on Islamophobia Original: English NINTH OIC OBSERVATORY REPORT ON ISLAMOPHOBIA May 2015 – September 2016 PRESENTED TO THE 43RD Council of foreign ministers Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan 18-19 October 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD by the OIC Secretary General EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION 1. TRENDS BRINGING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON ISLAMOPHOBIA, INTOLERANCE AND 7 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MUSLIMS 1.1. The Refugee Crisis and the Rise of ‘Reflexive’ Prejudice against Muslims in Europe 7 1.2. The 2016 US Presidential Campaigns and the Rise of Anti-Islam Sentiment, Racism and 9 intolerance against Islam 1.3. The Continued Wave of Terrorism in Europe and the Rise of Islamophobia 11 2. MANIFESTATIONS OF ISLAMOPHOBIA 13 2.1. Islamophobia in the USA and Canada 13 2.1.1. Polls and Reports on Islamophobia in the United States and Canada 13 2.1.2. Islamophobic Discourses and Campaigns 17 2.1.3. Surveillance against Islam and Muslims 22 2.1.4. The Rise of Far Rights 25 2.2. Islamophobia in Europe 28 2.2.3. Polls and Reports on Islamophobia in Europe 28 2.2.4. Islamophobic Discourses and Campaigns in Europe 33 2.2.5. The Continued Rise of Far Rights 35 2.3. Islamophobia in the Rest of the World 45 2.3.1. Muslims in Myanmar 45 2.3.2. The Continued Islamophobia in Australia 47 2.3.3. Islamophobia in India 50 2.3.4. Islamophobia in Thailand 52 2.4. Other Islamophobic Trends 55 2.4.1. Islamophobic Gestures and Policies against Veil, Hijab, and Burqa 55 2.4.2. Discrimination against Muslims in Employment 60 i 3. SOME POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS 63 3.1. Public Policy 63 3.2. Court Decisions and Trials against Islamophobes 66 3.3. Positive Views on Islam 70 3.4. Counter-balances on Far-Rights 75 3.5. Supports on Mosques 83 3.6. Positive Development on Hijab 87 3.7. Positive Development on Inter-Faiths 88 4. MONITORED INSTITUTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUBJECT OF ISLAMOPHOBIA 101 4.1. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) 102 4.2. Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) 102 4.3. Middle East Forum (MEF) 103 4.4. David Horowitz Freedom Center 103 4.5. Jihad Watch 103 4.6. Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE) 103 4.7. Abstraction Fund 104 4.8. Clarion Project 104 4.9. ACT for America 104 4.10. The Allegheny Foundation 105 4.11. The American Public Policy Alliance (APPA) 105 4.12. Former Muslims United (FMU) 105 4.13. Center for Security Policy (CSP) 105 4.14. The Counterterrorism & Security Education and Research Foundation (CTSERF) 106 4.15. Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) 106 4.16. Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) 106 4.17. Forum for Middle East Understanding (FMEU) 106 4.18. American-Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) 106 4.19. International Network for Hate Studies (INHS) 107 4.20. Center for American Progress (CAP) 107 4.21. The Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project (IRDP) 107 ii 4.22. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding 107 4.23. American against Islamophobia Project 108 4.24. Zaytuna College 108 4.25. Jews against Islamophobia Coalition (JAI) 108 4.26. Pew Research Center 108 4.27. Human Rights First 109 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 110 ANNEXES: ISLAMOPHOBIC INCIDENTS 113 I. Incidents Related to Mosques 113 II. Political and Social Campaigns against Islam and Muslims 119 III. Intolerance against Islam and its Sacred Symbols 123 IV. Discrimination against Muslim Individuals and Communities 125 V. Incidents Related to Hijab (Veil) 130 iii FOREWORD BY THE OIC SECRETARY GENERAL It is a pleasure for me to submit the 9th Annual Report of Islamophobia prepared by the Islamophobia Observatory, through which the OIC keeps spotlighting the phenomenon of discrimination against Muslims together with its various manifestations that have seriously disrupt the broad segment of Muslims’ life across the world. Through this observatory, the OIC also seeks to monitor cases of violence and hatred with a view to document and in particular to submit them to the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States. In a wider context, the OIC wishes to raise global awareness on the obvious danger of Islamophobia as well as on discriminatory policies and practices against Muslims. Modern transportation and communication have turned the world into a small global village where religions and cultures should coexist and where races and nations must live side by side as neighbors. While such a circumstances could facilitate mutuality and coexistence among human races, we can yet see that this opportunity has been under-going serious threat from the enemies of peace and the peddlers of hatred. Islamophobia is a sentiment, an excessive fear against Islam that transform into gestures of intolerance and deliberate act of discriminations against Muslims, insults upon Islamic sacred symbols, and event violent crimes against people with Islamic attires. Islamophobia also concerns with intentional attempts to tarnish the image of Islam as religion together with its over one billion followers who have in fact built up radiant civilizations and stood as an exemplary model of tolerance and coexistence. Islamophobia is actually part of racist movements that usurps the right to freedom of thought, belief and identity and targets its victims not for particular action they could have committed, but rather on the basis of their appearances and religious backgrounds. It usurps human rights at their most basic level. Therefore, Islamophobia does not represent a threat to Muslims only. Rather, it constitutes a threat to the very principles of justice, equality and freedom, just as it represents a threat to security and social harmony. It runs over the achievements of human society evolved over centuries, as well as of human endeavor and sacrifice on the basis of which international institutions have been set up to ensure the preservation of humanity’s achievements. In addition, Islamophobia is not a matter of concern for the OIC Member States only. It is rather a cause for mankind at large, the interests of the entire international community, given that it quite simply represents a threat to international peace and security. Eventually, this phenomenon of Islamophobia commands specific measures to be taken at legal, cultural, religious, academic, political, and humanitarian levels, and I am pleased to state here that the OIC has been trying to tackle this issue, through efforts, strategy, and programs. The OIC seizes every opportunity to open doors for dialogue with the other, since the negative stereotypical image of Islam been etched in the hearts and minds of the hatred advocates cannot be removed except by removing first the fear from Islam and its misapprehension. Through sustained positive 1 dialogue aimed at creating mutual understanding the OIC is trying to address the problem right into the mind and soul of people towards the establishment of coexistence and mutual respect. Islamophobia must be seen as a racist trend that is prohibited by all international standards and laws. It usurps man’s fundamental freedom of expression and belief and enlarges the gulf separating human fellows which can take one or another form of terrorism. Within this context I wish to bring into the serious attention of decision-makers in the Islamic world that the most dangerous stage of Islamophobia has begun through institutionalization of hate toward Muslims in the heart of national policies, laws and school curriculum of some countries to poison the mind of innocent children in order to insure the continuity of hatred against Muslims through generations. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, under the terms of its charter and in implementation of its summit and ministerial resolutions, has been consistently present on the international arena, striving to support justice, tolerance, moderation and peace, and combating terrorism and extremism on the one hand, while confronting Islamophobia on the other. Along this noble and long-distance track, the OIC seeks the constant supports from Member States to help the organization to fulfill its endeavor towards banishing hatred and racism while spreading love, justice, peace and tolerance among all humankind. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ninth Annual report of the OIC Islamophobia Observatory covers the period from May 2015 to September 2016. The report contains 5 (five) main chapters and an Annex. Chapter 1 on ‘Islamophobia, Intolerance, and Discriminations against Muslims’ describes the increasing trend of Islamophobia under the covered period, indicated by the growing fear against Islam and Muslims in certain parts of the world which led to negative perceptions among non-Muslims. Within such circumstances, Islam was seen as a religion of intrinsic violence whose disciples had a tendency to spread harm to the followers of other religions. Islam was also portrayed as an extreme and violent religion prone to bloodshed, a stigma that trigger intolerant attitudes amongst non- Muslims vis-à-vis their otherwise. These negative stereotyping eventually ended up into the dread or hatred of Islam that includes multi-level discrimination against Muslims around the world, reflected through exclusion of Muslims from the economic, social, and public life. This negative trend was mostly boosted by 3 (three) factors which have multiplied Islamophobia, namely: the Trump phenomenon, terrorist attacks in Europe, and the immigrants issue. Along this Chapter, the Observatory elaborates these three factors focusing on their contribution towards the growing Islamophobia in the US and in Europe during the reviewed period. Chapter 2 reveals ‘Manifestations of Islamophobia’ around the world, being classified into 3 (three) different categories based on geographical consideration: a) Islamophobia in the United States and Canada; b) Islamophobia in Europe, and; c) Islamophobia in the rest of the world. In addition to these three categories, d) ‘Other Islamophobic trends’ forms a section under the same chapter since it shows a general trend of fear against Islam and its attires which is not necessary regional or geographical in term of character.
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