Quarterly Magazine

Volume 1, Issue 2 - June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 ISSN 2632-3168 £5 where sold

Rewriting our future, revisiting our past: creating and capturing Muslim narratives

IAN ALMOND : DR MYRIAM ARZU MERALI: YOUSEF On the Quiet Capture FRANCOIS: Don’t mention the war: HELOU: of the History of the Rewriting our future: Muslim Amnesia and Palestinian online West – by the the need for Muslim the Need for Collective advocacy countering Islamophobic Right narratives Memory Israeli propaganda In the Name of Allah, Contents: the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful he theme of our place as Muslims periphery (former colonies) are being within the wider national story is the pushed to the margins by Britons from the thread that binds together three of the old Empire's core. But while Islamophobia four articles in the latest issue of The Long may be a new specificity the challenges we VTiew. face as a community as a result of racism are 3 Ian Almond: For at least the last two decades British largely the same as other BAME communi - On the Quiet Capture of society has witnessed a populist lurch to the ties. Addressing them, therefore, requires a the History of the West right which has both been nourished by (and more collaborative approach, more akin to – by the Islamophobic in turn fed) narratives seeking to redefine a that developed by Muslim groups in France Right pre-immigrant Britain that supposedly where joining forces with Roma and other existed before the confusion and contamina - anti-racism groups pre-empts official tion caused by multi-culturalism. attempts to play "divide and rule" politics. Dr Myriam Francois: In this idealised white "Golden Age" of Dr Francois sees the arts as a way in which 4 Rewriting our future: sedate cricket matches on manicured village British Muslims can define their own place the need for Muslim greens and grimy workers pouring out of within Britain. By becoming producers as narratives smokey factories at the end of their shift, the well as consumers and storytellers as well as place of minorities, be they ethnic or reli - subjects we can start to challenge the racist, gious, has been called into question. politically motivated narratives that have Arzu Merali: Identifying a crisis in British identity they come to dominate what it means to be 7 Don’t mention the war: diagnose as a diffidence and timorousness in British. Muslim Amnesia and the defending "traditional" British values in the Arzu Merali takes up the question of Need for Collective face of a hostile multi-culturalism, their how Muslims should address their erasure focus has turned on everyone who doesn't and misrepresentation from national narra - Memory look or talk like themselves or indeed tives. She finds problematic the reflexive espouse the same values. Rather than being responses which simply restate Muslim a restatement of any kind of a native histori - contributions to e.g. the wars Britain has Yousef Helou: cal British identity, this identity assertion historically fought, as this risks making us 12 Palestinian online has actually taken place in opposition to complicit in the present-day glorification of advocacy countering more newly settled communities. the military that seeks to legitimise war Israeli propaganda Under this resurgent right wing against Muslims abroad. While it is impor - populism the Scottish are viewed as want - tant to paint ourselves into the national away traitors, the EU a back-door way for picture, we must reject the temptation to Germany and France to control Britain, East present ourselves as the same as those who European immigrants an army of cheap deny our role in society and history because labour to displace British workers and to do so is to acquiesce in their moral abuses, Muslims a Trojan Horse looking to enforce which in many cases run counter to our own Islamic values on the silent majority. divinely inspired values. The How have we arrived at such a critical The final piece in this edition is by juncture? Yousef Alhelou and departs in part from and ong View Professor Ian Almond locates one cause dovetails with in other ways the theme L Quarterly Magazine in the revision of history to recast the British above. As Palestinians have grown politically Empire as a benign and benevolent force. and militarily weaker and increasingly more Whether it's the retelling of history in the isolated as a result of their abandonment by classroom, the whitewashing of political the Muslim world, this has given rise to a atrocities and abuses, or the creation of a new energy in cyberspace that seeks to Editors: fictitious past through popular culture the diffuse their cause. Historically, mainstream Faisal Bodi and objective is the same - to inform our choices western media has been complicit in propa - and opinions in the troubled present by gating pro-Israel narratives. This imbalance, Arzu Merali reference to a "glorious" past. a function of power asymmetry, is being He sees how "the slow, subtle, low-key challenged by a new wave of revolutionaries The Long View is a project beatification of Empire has insidiously crept who have made cyberspace their battlefield. and publication of Islamic into the background of every debate" and Applications such as Facebook, Twitter and Human Rights Commission that its proponents are thriving in part Whatsapp now enable Palestinians to because they have "been able to grow in a bypass the censors and disseminate their (a limited company no 04716690). rich topsoil of historical ignorance." own news and views to a global audience. For Dr Myriam Francois the newly- Having been undermined by dominant Web www.ihrc.org.uk emerged national story leaves little room for pro-Israel narratives, Palestinians have E info@ihrc,org Muslims except as a "problem identity" that taken up the challenge of retelling their Tel +44 20 8904 4222 is there to be tolerated by the "native" major - current and past stories using new media. ity. The rampant discrimination and target - A lesson perhaps, for us all to take on. All views are the authors' own and ing of Muslims today parallels the recent rise do not reflect IHRC's views or of right wing narratives (and the retreat of beliefs. multiculturalism) in which Britons from the Faisal Bodi and Arzu Merali Editors Cover photo (c) Sara Russell of Invisible Lines exhibition at IHRC Join the conversation by emailing us on [email protected] , tweeting @ihrc or find us on Gallery, 2015. Image in photo by Facebook. You can even send us an old fashioned letter to IHRC, PO Box 598, Wembley, Nasreen Raja. HA9 7XH, UK. Or pop by to the IHRC Bookshop for one of our events (or watch online www.ihrc.tv) at 202 Preston Road, Wembley, HA9 8PA. Find out what events are coming up at www.ihrc.org.uk/events .

2 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 Rewriting History On the Quiet Capture of the History of the West – by the Islamophobic Right such as Victoria and Abdul (2017) end with the Indian protagonist kissing the feet of The fight against Islamophobia could benefit Queen Victoria’s bronze statue. When we from rewriting the whitewashed history round all of this off with the widespread public consumption of a documentary genre currently dispensed to British schoolchildren, we can only term ‘Yes-Empire-was-bad-but- argues Ian Almond. we-did-give-them-rail-travel’ (Simon Schama’s A History of Britain , Jeremy Pax - bout a year ago, I was having coffee The unfortunate thing about History is man’s Empire ), it is hardly surprising to with a Muslim schoolfriend from that, unless we make an effort to look for it learn that nearly two-thirds of people inter - my childhood. She said to me: ourselves, we get most of it unconsciously, viewed in the UK feel the British Empire is “What kind of history are they without asking – either from our educa - more something to be proud of than teaching at school nowadays? My son came tional institutions, or from our mainstream ashamed of, and over one-third still wish we up to me yesterday and asked: ‘Mum, was culture. We grow up already formatted, so to had one today . tAhe British Empire a good thing or a bad speak, with an unconscious backdrop of the To make one thing clear: the solution thing in India?”. Her son’s history lesson, it world in our mind. This unconscious back - here is definitely not to replace a Western- appeared, had been all about the wonderful drop is tremendously important – all the friendly history with an Islam-friendly one. things the British did around the world. more so because we hardly notice it is there. Muslims, like any other group, are every bit The remark reminded me of something It is never thought of as ‘political’, but rather as prone to selective amnesia as Europeans. vague, but I couldn’t say what. When I got a deep, natural kind of common sense. It is Turkey continues to display an unwilling - home, I looked up the matter online, and why people can be puzzled when they are ness to fully acknowledge the violent, large- quickly found the thing that had eluded me: told Israel is a settler-colony, or when they scale ethnic cleansings of both the 1890s and an eight-year old article in The Guardian , hear India asking Britain for an apology (for 1915 – when the Armenian population was reporting on the appointment of a right- what – the railways?), or when Greece de - nearly completely removed from its lands; wing, pro-imperialist, pro-Western aca - mands that we return its monuments. because of Erdogan’s popularity in the Mus - demic (Niall Ferguson) as a senior lim world today, it is depressing to see some consultant on the UK’s GCSE History syl - non-Turkish Muslims also adopt this posi - labus. There was a frustration, apparently, tion in a partisan-fashion, without knowing with too much political correctness in the Nearly two-thirds of the facts. Leaving Christians aside, Sunni or teaching profession. Too much focus on slav - Shia-majority cultures also need to adopt a ery and imperialism, ran the advice – why people interviewed in wider sense of history, and acknowledge the not highlight the positive things the West the UK feel the British violence that they as a majority have inflicted has done for the rest of the world? Eight on their minorities. years down the line, my friend’s son was Empire is more Nor is there anything exclusively British clearly the recipient of this “revised” version something to be proud about this Western love of Empire – the of History. United States has been practising a white - It sounds like an academic point – and I of than ashamed of washing of its horrifying history in Latin wish it was. But History is important – and America fo r decades, producing a whole bad history, poor history, incomplete history Over the past decade, for example, a package of shows and films set there (most can be dangerous, sometimes even lethal. tremendous whitewashing of Empire and of recently the Tom Cruise film American Thugs will punch a person in the face be - many of the figures central to it – Queen Vic - Made (2017) and the Netflix series Narcos cause they feel that a foreign face has no toria, Winston Churchill – has taken place. (2015)) which sugar coat or delete U.S. po - place in the history of their land; Islamo - Winston Churchill – a man who referred to litical intervention. Both France and Bel - phobes will scream abuse at a woman with Sudanese as “savages” and Palestinians as gium, too, should probably interrupt the a piece of cloth wrapped around her head camel-dung eating “barbaric hordes ”, who moral lectures they give other countries to because they feel the sight has no connection was champing at the bit to use chemical fully confront the genocides they are respon - to the history of their own community. Re - weapons against civilian populations in sible for – whether it is in the Algerian inte - gardless of whether it is a general election or Northern Iraq and north-western India, and rior or the Congo Free State. a referendum, people vote on the basis of a who was more than happy to send in sol - On either side of the Atlantic, the various past just as much as they vote on the basis of diers to violently put down the protests of protests over statues of racists and Confed - a present. History is important because it ex - underpaid Welsh miners – continues to be erate generals on university campuses have plains to us how we got to where we are right memorialized as a morally courageous, attracted a lot of brief, high-intensity media now – who lost out and who profited, who heroic human being on both sides of the At - coverage – but these are mere skirmishes. suffered and who had a good time, who lantic. In 2017 alone, two major films came The real propaganda war by the Right was caused the problems and who tried to solve out about him ( Churchill and Darkest won years ago, in our classrooms, on our them. How ordinary people feel about the Hour ). Productions like Young Victoria and radio stations and across our TV screens. past that gradually shrinks behind us – TV series like Downton Abbey reinforce a The slow, subtle, low-key beatification of whether they regret its loss, are happy to be human face of Empire, one which paints a Empire has insidiously crept into the back - over it, or deeply yearn for its return – is of structure that was trying to help other coun - ground of every debate – and anyone who profound significance. tries, not exploit them. Even flippant films dares to point out that Churchill actually

June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 3 Rewriting History wanted to gas “savages”, or that Margaret idea that we ‘give’ too much in foreign aid, ken often enough – Muslims have been liv - Thatcher consciously collaborated with a as though the problems in these countries ing in Britain for over one hundred and fifty fascist dictatorship, or that British war were wholly free of our own relationship to years . crimes in the 1950s were inflicted upon them; perhaps most insidiously, the illu - As an academic and a historian, I openly hundreds of thousands of Kenyans during sion that there is a place called ‘the Muslim plead guilty to a charge of idealistic bias. I the Mau Mau uprising (torture, castration, world’, geographically separate from Eu - am not unaware that there are other factors burning alive, etc)…anyone who tries to ar - rope. There are many reasons why a whole – tremendous factors – at work in the rising ticulate any of this is seen as a wide-eyed cacophony of racist, under-informed, big - levels of hostility towards Muslims. Not least fanatic. oted voices (Katie Hopkins, Douglas Mur - among these, the unavoidable economic di - For Muslims in the West, these History ray, Nigel Farage, Milo Yiannopoulos) are mension of Islamophobia – that it dispro - wars are especially sensitive. Most British thriving in our public discourse today. The portionately comes, like most racism, from Muslims in the UK have grown up in, and semantic impact of ISIS – and the ap - a white, impoverished, working-class pun - economically benefited from, the post-war palling effect it has had on the ima ge of ished by austerity. No one is suggesting that geopolitical success of a first-world country Islam for non-Muslims - is surely one of attacks on mosques or the abuse of Muslims with a two-hundred year history of exploit - them. But if the echo chamber that is the on the street can be vanquished overnight ing the developing world. Many of those British, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant with a couple of history workshops and a exploited countries – Egypt, Sudan, Pales - Right at the moment is thriving, it is in part TV-series. Nor am I denying the Muslim tine, Afghanistan, Iran – were Muslim-ma - because it has been able to grow in a rich community’s part in this whole problem – jority regions (indeed, by the 1920s, over topsoil of historical ignorance. some of the more conservative and inward- half of the British Empire was Muslim). Today, perhaps more than at any previ - looking trends within British Islam today, Although these issues should be a concern ous time, we need a courageous approach many Muslims will admit, have cultivated a for all of us, British Muslims in particular to History. A History, both in our schools siege mentality in the community which find themselves in the center of the mael - and on our screens, that will not shy away only serves to make things worse. But if the strom today – especially on thorny ques - from atrocities or complexities. This does roots of Islamophobia are historic and sys - tions such as Iraq, Afghanistan and not have to be exclusively negative – re - temic, then any solution for it will have to be Israel-Palestine. The careful fading-out of minding people constantly about the equally long-term, and equally systemic. The the word ‘imperialism’ from our public dis - genocides their forefathers committed, or path that takes us from a GCSE school syl - course – and its replacement with less of - the dark histories of their governments. It labus to the Nazi salutes of the English De - fensive terms, such as ‘influence’, can be positive, too. A common racist re - fence League may well be a winding one, but ‘occupation’, ‘administration’ and even ‘de - frain is that ‘Muslims don’t belong here’. it is very clearly there for anyone willing to velopment’ – brings with it the installation Some of the oldest Muslim communities see. of a certain mindset and a slew of related in Britain can be traced back to Yemeni fantasies: that we in the West always inter - families who came here to live in the vene in non-Western countries for their 1860s. In other words – and I place the • Ian Almond is Professor of World Literature at own good, never for our own benefit; the words in italics because they are not spo - Georgetown University in Qatar

opened her eyes to a history – and thus to an identity – she had hitherto felt removed from. A history which through its absence Rewriting our future: had left her feeling culturally isolated. Ill at ease with herself and with her wider identity as a black British woman. Black history is just one part of the truncated history British the need for Muslim schoolchildren are raised on and which - alongside a doggedly resistant whiteness of our public sphere – ensures that those whose lived reality cannot fit the narrow narratives story Britain tells its children, find them - selves in various forms of metaphorical and actual conflict with the motherland. When Joining forces with other communities, embracing the country which birthed you denies your full existence, forces you into narrow stric - shared narratives of marginalisation and using the arts tures which negate your reality and expect to articulate our own experiences and aspirations is you to toe a line which betrays your human - ity, the fireworks are surely inevitable. essential if the Muslim community is to overturn Marginalisation has many layers to it – enforced, racialised constructions of its identity, says they can be economic, social, political and yes, also cultural. When the story of who Dr Myriam Francois ‘we’ are as a nation, doesn’t make space for ecently I watched a play called your story, or worse still, denies the truth of “Salt”, written by Black British your life’s experience, it is hard to see how “A people without the playwright Selina Thompson. you are meant to feel a sense of belonging knowledge of their past Much more than a play, Salt is a without betraying yourself. And beyond the performance of ablated history, in which merits of nation states, nations require a history, origin and Selina recounts her journey as she retraces sense of common interest and shared iden - oRne of the routes of the Transatlantic Slave tity to function healthily – without a shared culture is like a tree Triangle – from the UK to Ghana, on a sense of belonging, we risk becoming com - without roots.” cargo ship, to Jamaica, and back. She peting islands with little interest in collab - recounts just how making that journey oration toward the project of a ‘greater’ Marcus Garvey good.

4 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 Confronting inequality

For many minorities, Muslims in - the nation, upheld a sense of white British - equal starting point and therefore, unequal cluded, the reality of the British story of ness as the ‘true’ or ‘authentic’ identity. outcomes, for many people of colour, of who we are as a nation, leaves little room Non-white identities were permitted to en - which many are Muslims. Solutions to for a sense of Muslims as anything other tertain quirks and customs but not to in - these issues must be approached through a than a problem identity and one being ‘tol - trude on the core of Britishness by seeking collaborative approach which rejects the es - erated’ by an implied ‘native’ in-group. The to adapt it to a more representative story of sentialisation of Muslim identity as some - rise in pundits and even academics now the island or to shift the balance of power how unique and exceptional and instead, willing to employ terms such as ‘native’ in away from the core to the periphery. focuses on continuities of experiences of order to draw ostensibly racial divisions as deprivation and inequality across commu - the basis for ‘true belonging’ signals a crisis nities. Building solid coalitions beyond the of identity, a profound questioning of what Inequality and Empire Muslim ‘silos’ seems to be an essential part it means to be British – who gets to define Poverty, economic marginalisation, of this, not least to avoid repeating work it and who is included within it. more broadly, remain serious concerns for which others may have been paving the way The narrative around British Muslims many Muslim families in the UK’s forgot - for long befor e. has been drearily repetitive for over a ten working class neighbourhoods. In de - decade now. And some of the issues facing prived areas, the question of belonging is British Muslims have – perhaps not sur - less theoretical - it is in the cracked concrete Inequality and the ‘Muslim’ prisingly – proven worryingly constant. But of sub-par accommodation, and in over - label for all the attention placed on British Mus - How useful is the ‘Muslim’ label? Dur - lims as somehow an ‘exceptional’ group, ing policy conversations around Muslims in not a small number of the challenges facing prisons, I often question to what extent the British Muslims also affect many other mi - label ‘Muslim’ is even helpful when it ap - nority groups in the UK. It has become pears that class and race are far more rele - Today, there are over eight million peo - clear that vant explanatory variables. Although some ple from ethnic minority backgrounds in issues faced by Muslims in British prisons the UK. Three in four of them report expe - there is serious are religion specific, it seems the risks asso - riencing racism. The National Society for ciated with locating the root of the problems the Prevention of Cruelty to Children resistance to which led to incarceration within ‘Muslim - (NSPCC) said racial abuse and bullying of ness’ simply reinforces the enduring percep - children rose by one-fifth since 2015-16 to recognising tion of Muslims as a problem community. more than 10,000 incidents recorded by This in turn shifts the focus of policy solu - police last year. And a recent survey high - structural tions away from structural solutions to - lighted the percentages of people from wards ‘cultural’ and ‘religious’ ones. With black and Asian backgrounds reporting issues of that said, sometimes Muslim is the right racial discrimination has grown by more label, particularly when we discuss Islamo - than 10 points since the EU referendum - discrimination phobia. 71% of people from ethnic minorities face As the government recently announced discrimination, up from 58%. Although in the UK. its decision to reject a working definition of Brexit is a very new dynamic in British pol - crowded homes and queues at food banks. Islamophobia on the grounds that it could itics, it has effectively resurrected some very It’s in free school meals replacing missing impede legitimate criticism of the religion, old notions of belonging. The British come - home meals and in the drugs trade, offering it has become clear that there is serious re - dian and ‘national treasure’ John Cleese a seemingly lucrative alternative to those sistance to recognising structural issues of caused uproar when he commented re - failed by the schooling system. The per - discrimination in the UK. It took the Feb - cently that ‘London is no longer an English centage of Muslims in British prisons has ruary 1999 Macpherson report to recognise city’, subsequently defending his remarks increased by over 50% in the last decade. institutional racism within the police force by saying I’m a “culturalist, not racist.” His Many of those individuals are detained over and to provide a working definition of the comments are indicative of a changing drugs charges – less than one percent there term. Macpherson defined institutional sense of what makes Britain not just ‘great’ on what many would assume to be the racism as “the collective failure of an organ - but British, from the heyday of multicultur - source of this swollen number: terrorism isation to provide an appropriate and pro - alism, lauded as antidote to empire, to the charges. fessional service to people because of their current confusion of what form of nation - When we discuss deprivation sepa - colour, culture or ethnic origin”, as alism can and should be adopted which rately from both the history of immigration “processes, attitudes and behaviour which doesn’t in fact embolden and reinforce far- to the UK and the role of empire within amount to discrimination through unwit - right notions of belonging as based on race that, we risk truncating the national under - ting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and/or ethnicity. standing of why Britain looks the way it and racist stereotyping which disadvantages During the height of multiculturalism does, starting the conversation at immigra - minority ethnic people”. But speaking to the from the late 1970s, emphasis was increas - tion, rather than empire. This leads to a Guardian 20 years on from the McPherson ingly placed on the value of other cultures sense of white entitlement, grounded in the report, Stephen Lawrence’s mother, Doreen, to Britain and on the notion that Britain it - hierarchies of belonging linked to the con - said progress reforming institutions was self, is made up of a mosaic of identities, all cepts of native and immigrant. If black and “stagnant”. Institutional racism is one part of which were conceived as enriching the brown folks are in the UK due to immigra - of the puzzle when grappling with the in - nation. Idealised by some, it also had its tion, then this is simply a question of their equalities faced by British Muslims and key critics, not least among those who saw mul - ‘desire’ to live here, in what is perceived as to tackling it is the recognition that ques - ticulturalism as an extension of imperial an inherently more desirable setting, rather tions of struggles for racial inequality can - ways of thinking, with white Britishness at than forging continuities between displace - not be separated from the wider struggle the centre, and non-white forms of British - ment, economic impoverishment of na - against Islamophobia. ness tolerated, and in some cases cele - tions such as India, political turmoil For years, Muslims and academics brated, at the periphery. Just as Britain was created by empire, such as in the cases of working on Muslim issues have listed the the centre of empire, with its colonies use - Pakistan and Bangladesh and elsewhere. manifold ways in which Muslims experi - ful satellites, post-colonial Britain embod - Poverty and inequality in the UK today ence not only ‘anti-Muslim prejudice’ of the ied an idea of Britishness which while cannot be discussed separately to the con - hate crime variety, but also institutional Is - restricting who was entitled to belong to ditions of inequality which forged an un - lamophobia, a clear and persistent ‘Muslim’

June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 5 Confronting inequality penalty evident from housing to education, America found that knowing something ideally through the creation of patronage employment to dating. Part of this puzzle is about Islam is an even stronger predictor systems and an ‘Academy for Muslim Arts’, the institutional racism which Doreen of lower Islamophobia than is knowing a the aim of which would be specifically to fos - Lawrence and other campaigners have been Muslim personally. And yet, positive cam - ter British Muslim artistic talent. Example flagging for decades – but it contains an ad - paigns around the values of Islam, their rel - of such success, such as actor Riz Ahmed, ditional element, which marks the specificity evance for contemporary society and their and his ability to impose conversations of Islamophobia, as a form of racism, potential benefit for others are few and far around representation and Islamophobia namely a type of racism that targets expres - between. are indicative of the potential of this avenue. sions of Muslimness or perceived Muslim - While British Muslims face a wide range ness. of challenges, one of the greatest is not in - And more than 20 years since the Run - Neglecting the arts ternalising the essentialising gaze cast upon nymede Trust published its seminal report, On this issue of building awareness the community and rejecting efforts to re - ‘Islamophobia: a challenge for us all’, it is on around Islam and Islamic values, the arts duce Muslims to a monolithic identity. The the rise. I believe tackling Islamophobia is are a massively underestimated and under - current narrative which many Muslims going to require outreach efforts which have funded resource. Some of the most powerful replicate is of a poor and embattled commu - so far been largely limited to interfaith part - and culture changing moments in the cur - nity which needs ‘help’ and sympathy – in - nerships. While interfaith work has its im - rent anti-racism struggle in America have stead, we need to revamp how we see portance, it is vital to reach out and build been created by film and music. For this, in - ourselves and how others perceive us – we coalitions with non-faith groups from polit - dependent film-makers and artists, writers, need to support, financially and otherwise, ical parties, to other minority communities singers and dancers needed to be supported those cultural producers forging a new, em - and human rights groups. through community funding which is cur - powered and confident sense of self - one In France, the various anti-racism or - rently virtually absent. Film in particular which recognises the wealth of creativity ganisations (Anti-Roma, antisemitism, anti- has the power to change hearts and minds being produced by the current and next gen - racism, etc) form a united front in in a way which is virtually unparalleled – eration. The future culture wars are not challenging the variations in the manifes - stories of underdogs or narratives which being fought in the papers or in books – they tation of racism, their unity sends a strong challenge the status quo are far more readily are being fought and won on Instagram and message that regardless of political postur - heard and understood through this social media more broadly, and in the arts, ing on issues such as the definition of Is - medium than any single other form of com - speaking to a millennial generation which lamophobia, those experts and activists munication. Studies show that the passive cares far more about celebrities than statis - from different communities recognise the state in which we consume film and music tics. Shifting the narrative is also going to re - shared nature of the struggle and stand make us far more receptive to their messag - quire the community growing in acceptance united in opposing it. Such a united front ing than other mediums of communication. of its breadth – the faulty Muslims, the men - also ensures that any attempts to discount Meaningful efforts to shift attitudes towards tally ill Muslims, the ‘imperfect’ range of the nature of Islamophobia as indeed a Islam and Muslims ignore the power of the identities which manifest under this um - form of racism cannot be used to isolate media and the arts at our p eril – it is in these brella but whose diversity only enriches the one community. It also means that the realms that young Muslims can find their narrow pictures in which Muslims are cur - question of definitions would no longer be voice, build coalitions with non-Muslim rently being cast. one pitting the government against the peers and with sufficient funding, pro duce Britain needs to start telling a different Muslim community’s definition (although art on their own terms. It is also through a story of itself, one in which its ‘minorities’ are the All Party Parliamentary Group is far coalition of business (funding) and the arts not an afterthought or a footnote. But Mus - wider than this), it would be the govern - (culture) that Muslims can build a power lims can be a critical part of this shifting con - ment failing to recognise a definition base which makes them a community of versation, starting by telling our own stories, shared across a range of anti-racist organi - producers, whose ideas and contributions on our own terms – and using the light of sations. Since the validity of a term is partly are perceived as desirable and needed, ver - the arts to shine on the real beauty within. built on consensus, this would leave the sus a community of ‘need’ (requiring sup - government with the unfavourable option port, charity, pity). of ignoring anti-racism campaigners from • Dr Myriam Francois The African –American community’s is a journalist, broadcaster and writer. Her across the different types of racism, which ability to produce films such as “Get out” documentaries have appeared on Channel 4 and clearly reflects more poorly on their equal - (Jordan Peele) or series such as “Black-ish” BBC among others and her writing has featured ities record. (Kenya Barris) has dramatically shifted the widely in the British press, including the Creating a wider understanding of is - conversations around race issues in Amer - Guardian, the New Statesman, the Telegraph, sues facing Muslims and building empathy ica. Today, black cultural pioneers are sought CNN online and Middle East Eye, among others. within a wider culture of suspicion and after and courted for their ingenuity and cre - In 2019, Myriam set up the website hostility is also going to require demystify - ativity. I have no doubt British Muslims can “ ” to ing Islam itself. Research by the Institute weneedtotalkaboutwhiteness.com achieve the same but this will require the al - open up conversations in the UK around white for Social Policy and Understanding in location of funds towards art based projects, racial identity and its impact. Rohingya Appeal

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6 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 Regaining our collective memory Don’t mention the war: Muslim Amnesia and the Need for Collective Memory national state is the End of History, we fall Reflexively showcasing Muslim contributions to over ourselves to make his previous thesis real. We are more Fukuyama than Westernised society will not in and of itself address Fukuyama. the Islamophobia-motivated erasure and We seem adrift from this change in nar - rative of the liberal nation state. And this misrepresentation of Muslims from national loss of anchor is important. narratives. That requires a wider, more forceful recognition and restatement of the role played by Understanding Islamic Iberia: colonialism in subalternising racialised minorities, Interfaith or pluriversalism? There is a recent interest in the Muslim argues Arzu Merali. history of Europe, with a main focus on An - dalusia. It is hailed as a period of inter-faith rmed Forces Day was one mad (pbuh), and informed further by his co-existence and tolerance (which in large strand of a package of pro - Seerah, cannot understand the project of part it was) – often crudely offset against the posals put together to re-mil - ahistoricisation it is enmeshed in. We live in idea of Muslims as historically violent ma - itarise British society in a bid times of real and bloody wars, Iraq, rauders. A ‘proof’ that we are not all bad (at to stave off the popular backlash from failed Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen to name but a least in some earlier incarnation). It is a wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, lest anti-war few, yet in Westernised settings our civil so - crude point to make, but just as crudely it “sentimA ent hinder future conflicts. ciety has projected itself in these twenty can be argued that Muslims at that time “It is by now well established by serious years as a response to centuries old tropes weren’t just making history, we were doing scholars of the topic that this was done in a (still being) used to demonise and exclude us history – setting up libraries and institutions bid to place beyond critique the violent, ex - – Muslims as violent, Islam as spread by the of knowledge production, reading, writing tractive and discredited foreign policy doc - sword. Initially we portrayed ourselves as and learning. trine to which all UK political parties, peaceful and pacifistic in our opposition to Cordoba in the year 1000 CE had run - British business, sections of our media and the War on Terror, latterly loyal to the mili - ning water and street lighting for its perhaps the country’s military elite were (and for the tary cause of whichever Europeanised state one million residents. Meanwhile the sites most part still are) fully committed. The in we reside 1. Just look at the rise in Muslim of today’s ‘imperium’ were huts along the hope was that even mild criticism would be loyalty to the military in the UK in recent Thames and Seine in their tens of thou - conflated with an unpatriotic lack of support years, both as recruits and as blind support - sands. How is it then that we do not under - for individual soldiers.” ers . stand ourselves and the political and social Just as the wider social narratives – as milieus we find ourselves in? We neither see Joe Glenton, former veteran, Glenton above has outlined - have shifted ourselves as transnational members of the ‘Armed Forces Day is a propaganda from anti-war to war as a normalised part of ummah or fully autonomous citizens of the tool for arms firms and the military national identity, Muslims – or at least sig - nation state? We are simply the subjects of – and the public are footing the bill ’ nificant parts of its institutions have tried to whatever political project we live in, trying socialise to these ideas whilst seemingly to sheer ourselves of those vestiges of ‘his - We live in a moment of what seems to be oblivious to the volte face in their positions tory’ that mark our deen as ‘other’ ‘alien’ and permanent war. The war on terror stretches or the engineering of those social and polit - ‘incompatible’ with the political projects we towards the two-decade mark and all polit - ical currents by the government. We also fail find ourselves in. Day in day out there are ical currents vis a vis Muslims seem swept to understand ourselves and the times we fights and controversies about Muslim ad - up in it, as if we had no global relevance as a live in as ongoing history – a history in herence to values deemed outdated, or worse civilization before or since, as if we as indi - which we can be agents not subjects if we so still inimical to the project of modernity viduals have no historical agency. We exist choose. dressed not in its actual highly politicised in the space between how we are presented As Muslims we come from varying tra - and prejudiced guise, but presented as ‘nor - and perceived by everyone except us and an ditions that agonise over how to validate and mal’ and ‘natural’, as if has always been thus, idea of latent Muslimness - some memory of interpret both the sayings of the Prophet awaiting realisation in this very moment – a time gone when the Prophet (pbuh) his and the example he set from his own with Muslims and all other others to be companions and family lived, and when (hi)story, or even to re-evaluate how to come brought by force if necessary to kneel at its Muslims lived and ruled according to their to these conclusions ( even controversially altar. Just look at the demonisation of par - own terms. Permanent war is the latest in a so ). Yet we accept without realising it that ents protesting the No Strangers project in century or perhaps more process of ahistori - the moment we currently live in is the ulti - Birmingham, UK. cising Muslims and indeed all non-Western mate and now only viable – and moral- form Whether it is rejecting or feeling embar - Europeanised ‘others’ politically, socially, of social and historical organisation. We in - rassed about parents protesting sex educa - philosophically and so on. ternalise that everything to do with our own tion changes, or celebrating British It is one of the deepest ironies of the cur - histories – whether that is to do with our militarism, these attempts to ‘humanise’ or rent Muslim state that a community which multiple heritages, or our religious beliefs – ‘normalise’ Muslims, to make them under - evolves its theology, law and social under - is old, outdated and in need of capitulation stood as ‘just the same’ as their co-citizens is standing of the revelation of Allah (swt) to this ahistorical norm. Even as Francis one of the strands of counter-narrative work from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muham - Fukuyama revises his claim that the liberal to Islamophobia discussed by the Counter-

June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 7 Regaining our collective memory Narratives to Islamophobia project in which English. The piece serves two purposes for unravels the myths of a homogeneous ethnic IHRC was a partner in 2017 – 2018 with the this discussion. Firstly as a way of giving and cultural majority that existed from time University of Leeds and five other European voice to the people deemed outside the pale immemorial. It rehistoricizes the space Universities. 2 by the narrative that Muslims are segrega - which we have become accustomed to as - In its work on the UK, it became clear tionist; it also gave space to the autonomous suming has no history – or at least no history from those interviewed and that the work voices of grassroots Muslims, whose more within which we can have meaning as any - overviewed that sought to tackle Islamopho - incisive critique has hitherto found little ex - thing other than other. bia, the need to have inclusive histories and pression in the national conversational As academic and broadcaster Myriam national stories is crucial, but so too is ac - space. Secondly it provides badly needed François has stated there is a need for the knowledging Islamophobia as a form of vi - historical and historiographical context. Put reinventing of the story of the nation with an olence that is relational to both recent and simply, it reminds us all of the history of understanding of this history: “nations need colonial history and current events in vari - Muslims and racialised others in British his - what you might call national myths as part ous Westernised settings that refer to each tory, in particularly in the context of British of social cohesion, that the stories we tell other in order to perpetuate each other. We colonialism. As Parveen Sadiq highlights, ourselves about ourselves are inclusive and cannot discuss e.g. ‘Islamic Spain’ in any in - although deeply entwined in the longue help to feel that we are united by a common carnation especially that of inter-faith har - durée of colonial history, the problematiza - thread.” mony without recognising that it is the tion of Islam and Muslims in the UK context She elaborates , “We need alternative na - nation state and the ideology that underpins largely represents itself as ahistorical and tional conversations, alternative national it – of a monoculture without diversity – that transnational. There is no overt conversa - myths which look back at the history of the destroyed that ‘inter-faith’ harmony and so - tion about the presence of Muslims or other UK, not in an exclusivist, I would say in ciety in a genocidal manner. racialized communities in the UK. many cases racist way, but in one which ac - As argued by scholars such as Ramon knowledges the history of the multiple peo - Grosfoguel, this understanding can extend ples who now inhabit this island and to all Westernised settings. In order to tackle acknowledges the multiple ways in which the abject disempowerment we face, we can - We need to understand the UK historically was intertwined with not aspire to a future of liberation without other cultures and civilisations and how our acknowledging the various pasts that inform Islamophobia as a form of history is now an emerged one…” us as (i) beings of conscience i.e. as Muslims violence against Muslims as There is doubtless a push by UK civil so - in the active and participatory sense, (ii) ciety to make the ‘Muslim presence’ known. subalterns - the ‘others’ – in a system that others, but in an ongoing Eager to displace the idea of Muslims as (rel - privileges a narrow idea of human being, to atively) recent immigrants, there is now a which we can only fail to aspire to, like so sense as a struggle against focus on the role of Muslims in the two many other racialized others; and (iii) agents Islam as (an) idea(s) and world wars of the 20 th century. Multiple for change in both a vision of an Islamic projects have highlighted the numbers of messianic end of history or any number of experience of political and colonial troops , navy men and even Mus - utopias, Islamic or otherwise, or any combi - social organisation and limah spies as examples of (a) Muslim his - nation thereof. torical presence, integration, and loyalty. We need to understand Islamophobia as mobilisation and more The Royal British Legion has been part of a form of violence against Muslims as others, this process too. These have in and of them - but in an ongoing sense as a struggle against importantly liberation. selves merit in identifying and attempting to Islam as (an) idea(s) and experience of po - centre the idea of Muslims as part of the mil - litical and social organisation and mobilisa - This is not simply an issue of rehashing itary and recent history of the UK. This is a tion and more importantly liberation. the well worn and correct analysis of the late history ignored to the point that its exclusion And liberation is a shared goal. We can’t A. Sivanandan, “Colonialism and immigra - from curricula about the war amounts to be afraid to explain what we want, question tion are part of the same continuum – we are erasure. You will not find it in war time what is possible and decry what has been here because you were there.” As the award- drama from Colditz to Dunkirk . At a time done to us in its name. winning website, Our Migration Story: The when the iconography of the two world wars Making of Britain (2017), outlines, migra - is becoming ever more intrinsic to the idea tion to the British Isles is constitutive of the of the nation in the UK, what could be Protesting the colonial identity of the ‘nation’ – rather than the cur - wrong with this? ‘The English invaded more than rent myth that the nation is of one people, half the world. Of the countries language and religion, currently fending off that they ruled, how many lan - the erosion of this identity from cultural ‘in - Militarisation and mythology guages do the English speak?... vaders’. Using “In both Iraq and Afghanistan, once the People from third world countries reasons for going to war were found to be contributed to making Britain, “the words and research of over 60 false, or unattainable or just forgotten, those Great Britain, which up to this day historians based in universities and with a vested interest in continuing the wars they are in denial about…’ historical institutions – including resorted to one of the oldest tricks in the the National Archives, the Imperial book. They cultivated the myth of the sol - Parveen Sadiq , community elder War Museum, the Victoria and Al - dier as hero. (translated from Urdu) bert Museum, and the Royal His - They told you that you might not under - torical Society – this website stand why the war continued but that you The ertswhile UK Prime Minister David presents the often-untold stories of should support the soldiers. They told you Cameron, in 2016, criticised Muslim women the generations of migrants who that to stop the pointless slaughter would be who did not speak English, announcing came to and shaped the British sacrilege to those heroes that had already plans to test the English skills of spouses al - Isles.” died,” said Ben Griffin, Veterans for Peace, at lowed to come to settle in the UK, with the an Oxford Union debate, “ We will not fight possibility that they may be deported if their Counterintuitively, this project goes back for Queen or country ”, 2013 skills were not up to an acceptable level. not a century, or even two, but two thousand The myth of the soldier as hero is not Assed Baig, for Channel 4 News, produced years to document wave after wave of migra - new, but as Griffin states earlier in his a piece that showed Parveen Sadiq make this tion that makes up the society we live in, and speech, this is a narrative of jingoism and a blunt and contextual complaint – not in also then unpacks, or perhaps more literally, patriotism that is geared towards starting

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June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 9 Regaining our collective memory and perpetuating wars, for war’s sake (and What legally defines a ‘British national’ challenging Trump is fine and talk - the vested interests of those ordering those is essentially at the whim of a state governed ing in a very abstract way about wars) only. in its own continuing colonial interests. how Islamophobia is really bad, An attempt solely to integrate Muslims There is no way around this. We are British that seems to be okay, but on the into this discourse is to integrate Muslims or not, get a visa or not, get demonised, de - other side I still find it very difficult into the mythology that serves great injus - ported and then receive an apology or get to have conversations with people tice. Even if this history – and it is an actual demonised more not on our own merits or who think that they know every - history of participation, as British / West - the injustice of our oppression but by a few thing, who think that they under - ernised subjects in British / Western / Im - individuals – primarily the UK Home Sec - stand the way that Islamophobia perial / Colonial projects – were to succeed, retary – and the political culture fomented operates in society but still get it if we could get the state, its institutions and around her/ him. This bucks the expecta - through to them that actually it’s the bulk of British society to accept us as part tion of many that the British state is essen - multi-layered and it’s still very of this, what would this achieve? What tially the ‘just state’ that Muslim civil society prevalent even though people are would it mean? That Muslims can be part leadership in particular aspires to and seeks so aware of it.” of a national war machine, regardless of to persuade of Muslim humanity and thus whether it was right or wrong? That any cri - deserving of inclusion within the story of the Samayya Afzal , activist and tique of current wars or colonial pasts has no nation. As poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan researcher place in the current political and civil con - versations? This is the silencing of political Even the idea of Islamophobia has been and moral debate, not just the silencing of shorn of its political and historical context. Muslims. There is or at least used to be a Finding ways to How that applies to militarism and militari - very different national narrative that delin - sation in the UK and other Western contexts eated social responses to the two world wars navigate ‘history’ will be discussed further, but it is worth not - in the UK. The first was deemed a cata - always, is key. It’s ing the findings of the CIK project on the strophic loss of life at the hands of warmon - issue of understanding history – in particular gering elites in Europe, who saw nothing something that the longue durée of colonial entanglement wrong in sacrificing millions of European Muslims, with their and its impact on Muslims in the current men for nothing more than continental and moment, alongside how structural racism transcontinental land grabs. The Second reliance on historical works. Without this attempts to humanise World War was seen a principled fight traditions of narration Muslims or include them in the existing na - against fascism. The last ten to fifteen years tional narrative – whether by filling in bits of has seen these narratives morph into one of should perhaps be more missing history or condemning those things a ‘ moral cause ’ in the first war and an exam - attuned to, except it deemed un-British (insert the adjective of ple nationalistic heroism for the second. your Westernised nation state name here) There needs to be more than simply a push doesn’t seem so. you will simply reinforce the cycle of exclu - to include Muslims in those narratives. sion, risking what journalist Nesrine Malik Above all, understanding that narratives of explains : ‘If you need me to prove my hu - identified as reinforcing connections with history and narratives of nation morph and manity / I’m not the one who’s not human.’ and thus validating narratives of Islamopho - change, and can be manipulated in the serv - Sociologist of religion Sariya Cheruvallil- bia. ice of injustice is essential. Finding ways to Contractor has highlighted that the types of Understanding the longer historical con - navigate ‘history’ always, is key. It’s some - conversation between Muslims and the in - text of Islamophobia and racism / racializa - thing that Muslims, with their reliance on stitutions of state need to be reset while oth - tion of the other is essential to understanding historical traditions of narration should per - ers look to establishing a clear and honest the multiple situations of Muslims and other haps be more attuned to, except it doesn’t narrative within political, academic and oppressed peoples worldwide. Whether you seem so. media discourse about the causality of the start that process at the Crusades or 1492 , or ‘problems’ ascribed to issues of Islam and even later, we cannot get out of the bind we ‘Muslimness’ that is fair, unbiased and re - are in without understanding where it came Who are the humans? flects a wider understanding of structural from. and geopolitical factors rather than relying The current situation of the UK as an in - “Europe wants immigrant labour on Islamophobic narratives to support con - creasingly militarised state has been docu - but not the immigrant, the profit tentious but ultimately devastating ideas mented elsewhere, as has the impact of from the one, not the cost of the and policies. Others seek to expound a increasing militarism of national discourse. other – except that the immigrants clearer understanding of how racism, in par - It is worth noting that both have crept up on now are mostly from eastern Eu - ticular anti-Muslim racism is a form of or - all, not just Muslims, unawares. Neverthe - rope and what used to be the num - ganisation that as Ramon Grosfoguel less, where critical civil society has taken bers theory – the fewer the argues , underpins various hierarchies of in - note, Muslim civil society has been largely immigrants, the more easily can equality in the current national and world silent, remaining oblivious or proactively they be “digested” – the phrase be - order. cheerleading the process. As a summary of longs to the original director of the the evidence of both militarisation and the Institute of Race Relations – is impact of militarism, think of the increased today the managed migration the - Understanding and presence on the streets of soldiers, deployed sis of the government. Except, too, in peace-time but also increasingly at times Experiencing Islamophobia in of crisis (floods, possible Brexit scenarios ) in that the refugees and asylum seek - the militarised state ers, thrown up on Europe’s shores, ways that are now unquestionable. The stem from the uprooting and dis - presence of the armed forces on ceremonial “I feel like people are more open to and royal occasions was always the norm so placement of whole populations talking about it now because every - caused by globalisation, and the the newer presence of military on the streets, one is talking about it or seeing it in e.g. the huge presence at the London imperial wars and regime change Trump or this caricature. People that follow in its wake.” Olympics of 2012 of troops, the mooring of are probably more comfortable a warship for the event and the placing of now but it’s still deeply uncomfort - A. Sivanandan missiles atop nearby roofs, and subsequently able in challenging it in everyday the deployment of soldiers at other events life. So, social media and I guess e.g. Wimbledon has largely gone unnoticed.

10 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 Regaining our collective memory In terms of the impact of militarism – it thought that there were few people of colour instrumentalised by different parties post- is twofold – it perpetuates injustice involving involved e.g. in the Second World War, ex - the First World War and betrayed in the polarised communities, demonised minori - cept perhaps the segregated African Ameri - inter-war and post-Second World War mo - ties and authoritarian political space at can GIs brought over with US forces. The ments? How did the fall of the Uthman - ‘home, whilst justifying military interven - 2006 movie ‘Indigenes’ that follows Alger - niyyah Khilafa – contribute to the New or tions and full-blown wars abroad. Accord - ian soldiers who enlisted and fought for Continuing World Order? ing to Sam Walton in his 2014 report for France, goes some way to unmasking this, This type of critique exists in many Quaker Witness for Peace, “A huge cross- but the details are even more startling than spaces but increasingly is being margin - party government programme dedicated to this cinematic depiction of both loyalty and alised even from Muslim spaces. We need ensuring that the military are popular in so - aspiration on the part of colonial soldiers. as a first step to be able to (once again) talk ciety has implications other than the popu - The original French army, defeated at the about, question and demand redress for e.g. larity of the armed forces and ease of military outset of the Second World War, contained the violent suppression of the Algerian recruitment.” He and others identify stifling huge numbers of colonial soldiers, many of claims for independence in the immediate criticism of war; glossing over negative as - whom, like the 17,000 black mainly West aftermath of the Second World War that cul - pects of the military; the wrong motivations Senegalese soldiers, were killed and often minated in the genocidal war waged by for youth work; the danger of becoming an summarily executed by the Nazis. The free - France against the liberation movement overly militarised society and failure to sup - ing of Algeria from enemy control saw the which eventually saw an independent Alge - port members of the armed forces properly. entry of Algerian fighters into De Gaulle’s ria emerge. Simply adding the forcibly for - The impact on society then and the concomi - army, swelling its ranks from 50,000 to half gotten contribution of Muslims to the tant need for the dehumanisation of Mus - a million. Despite the crucial role played by French war effort, cannot square the ‘contra - lims in order to pursue this agenda is clear. these troops in the allied victory, they were diction’ of a supposed fight against fascism The worse Muslims and Islam are deemed to both literally expunged from the historical which itself morphs into the most extreme be, the more legitimacy is conferred on any record and mistreated in their aspirations, forms of fascistic violence. We need to not war against them elsewhere, which justifies whether nationalist or assimilationist, post only call this out but demand another world suppression at home and so on and so on. the war. The BBC, in 2009, revealed secret imagined outside this vicious cycle. As I wrote in 2002 , before the UK and documents from the war record s of the Al - We have a chance still to revisit history, its allies were embroiled in major wars lies that saw France, the USA and the UK its textbooks at school, to reflect critically in around the world, the ‘here and the there’ conspire to ensure that no black troops were civil society. This should be the ‘national’ are intimately connected. If we are going to shown to be involved in the liberation of process, but failing that, as Miriam François discuss political violence, as academic Hilary Paris, and that it was an (almost) all white states, we : “rethink the stories we tell our Aked stated back then, “If you are going to affair. Photos of allied troops marching into children about who we ‘are’ and we need to talk about that you need to talk about for - Paris were shot post event with all white acknowledge the historical wrongs that have eign policy, state violence as well you need to units pictured only. Indeed, so few were the been done in order to recognise the histori - also talk about political violence in the far white troops that not enough could be mus - cal inequalities that have fed into some of the right as well.” tered to fill the photos, and ‘lighter skinned’ current inequalities…” Until then we will be It is worth noting that far right groups soldiers from North Africa were added to the simply perpetuating our own oppression by centre much of their iconography on the shots to pass as white. way of wars and militarism and their accom - armed forces, and even link their events to Whilst this contribution as well as those panying mythologies. military parades. In recent months it has of the many Muslims and other peoples of been revealed that even the government colour must of course be addressed and in - fears the rise of far right extremism within tegrated into historical narratives, so too • Arzu Merali is an author and broadcaster. She is Head of Re - the armed forces and has released a guide for must a critical evaluation of those wars. The search at the Islamic Human Rights Commission. senior officers to spot signs in members. Toledo Society’s podcast 1400 OMG! Is an example of making recent ‘European’ history ‘relevant’ to Muslims. It claims to be neither 1 There is, of course, another essay and more to Muslims, the military and prescriptive nor authoritative. That is more be written about the reversal of these principles national myths than a start to the process of reclaiming nar - during the Arab Spring according to cynical, ar - ratives. guably tribal like identities. But that is for an - The rise of projects that seek to make other day. known the Muslim contribution to wars The podcast looks at these events does have a restorative effect. It is a history through the eyes of Muslims worldwide ask - 2 Comments quoted from Myriam Francois, that has been erased. Based on popular cul - ing about the the impact or relevance of Samayya Afzal, Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor ture and school text books, you would have these wars. How were Muslim aspirations and Hilary Aked come from this project. Nigeria Appeal

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June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 11 Palestinian online activism Palestinian online advocacy countering Israeli propaganda by Facebook,” said Iman Mohammad. He suspects he was being reported to the social The rise of the internet has spawned a new media giant by Israeli critics. “I was generation and new forms of resistance to Israeli threatened five times by Israelis for my online activism and for being a member of occupation. Yousef Helou looks at the growing role this electronic army.” social media is playing in the fight against Israeli Some volunteers said they went after posts by US President Donald Trump for his occupation. role in relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. alestinian history has been subjected Palestinian online campaigns now aim “Our posts are polite. We do not use to distortion by Israel and its to counter Israeli narratives and challenge abusive language. We engage in discussions supporters since the days of the Israeli trolls who spread inaccurate and support that with information, Nakba in 1948 — from the old information and distorted facts. Twitter, pictures, videos and links to articles. We notion that Palestine was a land without a Facebook and Whatsapp are the main three were surprised to see Jews who are anti- people to today’s propaganda use of the tools in the hands of Palestinians. Zionists support us in these online Pterm “self-defence” to justify an illegal The past few years have been a turning discussions,” said Ahmed Jouda, the head of military occupation’s killing of civilians. point in the struggle with the usage of these the volunteer group. Despite being colonised for seven tools giving rise to a new phenomenon. decades, Palestinians say their narrative is not given equal space in Western media, Second: Twitter which prefers to cite officials from the state First: Facebook The Palestinian leadership severed ties of Israel. The most recent online campaign is with Washington after Trump’s December The seven-decade Palestinian-Israeli called “Ihbid” (“Strike” in Arabic). Activists 2017 announcement to recognise Jerusalem conflict has taken a heavy toll on the calling themselves the Electronic Army of as Israel’s capital and relocate the US Palestinian side. Everything has been Habed comment on Facebook and Twitter Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since politicised. Politics has become deep-rooted posts made by public pro-Israeli social then, Twitter has been the main in the fabric of society. Social media media accounts. communication channel between US and platforms are used for socialising and for They use the hashtag #Ihbid194, in Israeli officials from one side and expressing political views, sharing reference to UN Resolution 194, which Palestinian officials on the other. statements, posting messages and breaking called for the right of return for Palestinian At the moment Twitter is the only news in Arabic and English. refugees to their homes in what is now means of communication between rival Applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Israel. The other significance of the number politicians from Israel/US and Palestine YouTube, Skype, Whatsapp and Telegram “194” is the bid of the Palestinian Authority over the frozen Middle East peace process. enable Palestinians to break their to make Palestine the 194th member of the American, Israeli and Palestinian geographical isolation and disseminate United Nations. officials appear to be following Trump’s lead breaking news, information, photos and Ameen A’abed, one of the co-founders of on how to behave on Twitter: instead of videos of events in a timely manner in an Ihbid, said the group’s Facebook page has being involved in secret peace talks behind uncensored way not subject to Western attracted some 26,000 followers and the closed doors, they are now engaged in open editorial policy or certain guidelines. main activity of the campaign is to dispel public relations warfare. Palestinian citizen journalists and their misinformation posted on pro-Israeli The chances that US President Donald online activism provide live commentary on accounts. Trump will be able to broker a peace deal international media outlets. “On May 15, we targeted the pages of 15 between the Palestinians and Israelis Thanks to the digital revolution and Israeli embassies around the world and appear dimmer by the day. Trump, however, social media platforms, Palestinians are embassies of countries that recognised does seem to be having another kind of turning to a method with which they can try Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,” said A’abed. influence on all the parties involved: Twitter to redress the imbalance in traditional Another co-founder is Hassan al- spats. media reporting. Dawood, who said Ihbid volunteers are in Examples of this digital diplomatic When media outlets quote official the hundreds. offensive are hard to miss. statements from the Israeli military, for “Members of this electronic army are In February, Saeb Erekat, the example, Palestinians challenge the Israeli highly educated and many of them live Palestinian Authority’s chief peace narrative by sharing photos, videos and outside [the Palestinian territories]. They negotiator, tweeted: “The US so-called witness statements of what took place. are frustrated about Western media’s biased peace team not only added to the separation Sometimes the online battles between coverage in favour of Israel,” Dawood said. of Gaza from the West Bank but has pro-Palestinians and supporters of Israel The volunteers don’t always fight back destroyed any chance of peace between are more ideological. Pro-Palestinian voices with information. They have bombarded Palestinians and Israelis.” seek to counter Israel’s dehumanisation of social media posts with photos of the Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s Middle East Palestinians and show that they are simply Palestinian flag and other symbolic envoy, responded by tweeting: “Saeb: I saw yearning for freedom. gestures. your many tweets today. Your “My account was disabled for three days

12 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 Palestinian online activism fears/emotions show — that won’t help conference because they accuse the United was unheard of before Trump’s presidency. Palestinians. I don’t agree w/ your States of seeking to impose its policies, Twitter diplomacy has become the only assertions & you have offered no realistic which the Palestinians say favour Israel. means of communication. It’s not known solutions. Time to get serious & use your “So #JaredKushner disclosed to Al- for how long it’s going to last but as long as intellect. Palestinians deserve it. My door is Quds newspaper that Jordan, Egypt & American and Israeli officials turn their open — don’t waste more time.” Morocco will be attending the Bahrain backs on any meaningful negotiation for Greenblatt also took aim at Palestinian ‘workshop’ & that their official declaration peace, war in the Twittersphere will Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, will be forthcoming! Strange spokesman continue. tweeting in April: “ Basically, you’re saying: indeed,” she tweeted on June 11. Give us the deal we demand or no deal. disclosed to Al-Quds newspaper that That’s consistent with Palestinian prior Jordan, Egypt & Morocco will be Third: Whatsapp attempts. How has that worked out for attending the Bahrain “workshop,” & Whatsapp newsgroups have become, for Palestinians? Do you want to lead your that their official declaration will be many Palestinians, the favourite tool to keep people to opportunity & prosperity or just forthcoming! up to date with the breaking news around keep saying the same tired lines over & over Strange spokesperson indeed. Hanan the clock. The practice took root during again? ” Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) Israel’s 51-day onslaught on Gaza in the

summer of 2014. Saeb: I saw your many tweets today. Other Palestinian officials active on Local media companies created Your fears/emotions show - that won’t help Twitter include the ambassador to the newsgroups encouraging the public to join Palestinians. I don’t agree w/ your United Kingdom Husam Zomlot, them to receive breaking news in the form assertions & you have offered no Palestinian president’s spokesman Nabil of notifications, be it texts, videos, photos or realistic solutions. Time to get serious Abu Rudeineh, Hasan Al-Shikh, head of the links to news articles. This trend replaced & use your intellect. Palestinians general authority of civil affairs and the short one-by-one text messages and deserve it. My door is open - don’t waste member of the Fatah central committee, long, often boring e-mail messages more time. Jason D. Greenblatt and former Gaza Health Minister Basem containing the unfolding stories, news (@jdgreenblatt45) Naim, the only Hamas official tweeting in releases and invitations to events. Shtayyeh replied: “ Any political English. “WhatsApp has dramatically surpassed initiative that does not call for ending Israeli officials have not stood idly by on Facebook and Twitter in being the fastest Israeli occupation and establishing an Twitter. When they’re not attacking the most practical medium in disseminating independent and sovereign Palestinian state Palestinian side themselves, Israeli officials the news. It has many features such as with Jerusalem as its capital on the borders often express support for their American recording audio messages, live video chat of 1967 with settling the refugees cause is not counterparts in online spats with and most importantly it’s ad-free. It also can acceptable to the Palestinians .” Palestinians. be used offline as long-term messages” said Any Political initiative that does not call Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Eli Khalid Safi, a social media expert. for ending Israeli occupation and Ben-Dahan was vocal in his support for Anyone from anywhere in the world can establishing an independent and sovereign Trump’s decision to cut funding to the join WhatsApp newsgroups by asking the Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its Palestinians and the UN agency for administrators to add their numbers. “With capital on the borders of 1967 with settling Palestinian refugees. “Finally, the US the busy life here, I do not have much time the refugees cause is not acceptable to the President tells the Palestinians the truth. to surf news websites or watch TV, so the Palestinians . Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh . These Arabs have cheated the world for WhatsApp newsgroups provide me with Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the years. They took money from donor what I need to know, without the hassle of Palestine Liberation Organisation countries and instead of building a state, the reading long analytical pieces,” said Murad, Executive Committee, is one of the most leaders lined their own pockets,” he tweeted a Palestinian who lives in London. active Palestinian officials on Twitter. This last year. Because Gazans have been experiencing has exposed her to attacks from pro-Israel “On the governmental and official level, many hours of power outages a day for 12 trolls. “ Once again: I have blocked & will I do not think Twitter or Facebook is years, this means their connection to WI-FI continue to block Israeli propagandists to conducive to helping the peace process routers are often disrupted. The alternative prevent them from gaining access to my because there can be great is to buy relatively expensive data bundles account & using it to spread their misinterpretation of what is said, however from local cellular companies. Ironically distortions & lies. I will not expose my for activists there is a route to engaging with this service is only available on G2 interlocutors & friends to their venom ,” she officials through Twitter, but it is politicians telecommunication technology. The tweeted in April. who can choose what to respond to them” upgrade to the third generation is subject to Ashrawi criticised the US-sponsored Kamel Hawwash, British-Palestinian Israeli approval because it has the final say conference on the Palestinian economy, academic told The Arab Weekly in allocating radio frequencies. scheduled for late June in Bahrain. Such a high volume of Twitter spats Those who live outside Gaza enjoy this Palestinian officials are boycotting the among US, Israeli and Palestinian officials free service, making followers feel they are

June 2019 / Shawaal 1440 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine 13 Palestinian online activism on the ground experiencing the events when Facebook account was closed down by influence of the Israeli narrative that is they forward notifications to each other. Facebook many times without any trying to suppress the Palestinian side of Wh atsApp groups are run on a explanation. the story”. voluntary basis. Those who have English- Al-Najjar filmed the famous short video In recent years, Israeli authorities have language followers translate the breaking interview with 29-year-old wheelchair- been monitoring the Facebook accounts of news and share it on other social media bound Palestinian Ibrahim Abu Thuraya Palestinians, arresting hundreds across the platforms. Any member of the group from who was killed by an Israeli sniper on West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as different geographical locations can share December,16 th , 2017. The video went viral Palestinian citizens of Israel, accusing them and send or add any piece of information after he shared it on his Facebook page. of inciting violence. related to unfolding events. Soon after he posted the clip and shared it, While Palestinians consider their posts The journalists’ and ordinary people he said that his account was targeted an essential expression of their frustration, need to receive news in summary format as repeatedly by hackers. Israeli authorities often class these posts, it occurs, making WhatsApp groups the core Despite this, he has been overwhelmed including those with songs, as a crime of the transformation in alternative media. with how widely his video has been shared punishable under Israeli law. The The rise of the internet and the across international news outlets, stressing authorities are imposing a form of digital emergence of alternative media has enabled that social media is a great tool. Without it, crackdown, a practice which attacks Palestinians to make their voices heard and he knows his video would not have reached freedom of expression . present their narrative. The reliance on tens of thousands of Facebook users, and During the three Israeli devastating social media platforms has become a western audiences around the world. wars on Gaza in 2008, 2012 and 2014, necessity considering what Palestinians say “The phenomenon of citizen journalists Palestinian social media activists won the is Western media bias in favour of Israel’s has increased in recent years across cyber war by countering the mainstream narrative. Palestine, especially in Gaza which is often narrative of their besieged territory. Despite To this end, a wave of Palestinian citizen the target of air, sea and ground attacks. a suffocating physical and digital blockade journalists, armed with laptops and The reason for this is an awareness of the imposed in 2007, they have reached vast smartphones, have decided to take the lead. powerful role social media can play in numbers of people around the world . A debate is taking place about Facebook’s drawing the attention of the international Palestinian citizen journalists and integrity and its tight collaborations with community to our plight, especially as there activists say digital battles are effective. Israel in censoring Palestinian content. is training offered by media centres and With technology, they can clarify the victim Israeli officials said the collaboration aims to educational institutions providing advice to from the victimiser. They can defend their tackle “incitement” on the social media users on the importance of being credible, cause and combat attempts aimed at network. using the correct terminology, posting distorting the truth, especially considering Some Palestinians engage in a process of accurate, genuine breaking news”, Al- the weakness of official Palestinian state- “cyber-democracy,” criticising their own Najjar said. run media outlets when compared to the leaders, expressing their point of view, New media platforms have a role to powerful and well-funded Israeli calling for reforms and asking for their play in showing the world what is propaganda machines and media networks. rights. They take part in a democratic happening on the ground. Social media It is also important to state that the process in which young people participate, allows people to share news, disseminate digital space is targeted from time to time debate, discuss and send messages to their photos and videos which reflect daily life by local authorities in Gaza and the West rulers. under occupation - all you need is a Bank; therefore online censorship and Whether they are WhatsApp smartphone with internet data. We must repression of Palestinians’ free speech also notifications or Facebook posts, or Tweets, not underestimate the power of pictures exists. But the focus of this topic is on these are effective means to connect and footage emerging from inside the Palestinians’ advocacy to their struggle and Palestinians in the occupied Palestinians occupied territories and from around the freedom and exposing the gross human territories and those in the diaspora. Israel’s world. Forms of resistance have evolved in rights violations, crimes and racist polices enforced physical territorial separation light of social media compared to 17 years committed by Israel. between the Palestinians of besieged Gaza, ago, before the rise of the internet Social media platforms are powerful the West Bank, East Jerusalem and those Palestinians are winning the online tools in the hands of Palestinians and have living inside Israel — the green line areas — battle, and Israel cannot prevent the spread changed the way events are covered in has been overcome thanks to social media. of harrowing images of Israeli injustices Palestine. Thanks to this technology, When Palestinians were gearing up for against Palestinians, some of which have Palestinians are making their voices heard, the climax of the “Great March of Return” become iconic symbols of resilience and highlighting their suffering, frustrations on May 15 this year to mark the Nakba,- defiance. and humiliation under years of Israeli what Palestinians describe as the military occupation in the occupied West Catastrophe of 1948 when Israel was Bank, East Jerusalem and besieged Gaza. established at the expense, suffering and Obstacles and Facebook’s Advocating for Palestine and national displacements of the indigenous fight against Palestinian rights has become a campaign taken up by Palestinians- Palestinian activists took to content those who have the ability to reach an social media to advocate the aims of the international audience, whether they are march and coordinate events and While Israel’s ban on 3G technologies officials or activists, or normal citizen demonstrations across Gaza. for the only two Palestinian journalists As a journalist, Whatsapp news telecommunications and mobile notifications spared me time watching the companies has caused problems, some news and accessing news websites. I have Palestinian journalists and social media • Yousef Alhelou is a Palestinian journalist, political analyst based become addicted to reading them and activists use Israeli Orange sim cards - a in London. He has been covering the Palestinian- sharing them. It has become the umbilical much faster network - in order to be able to Israeli affairs since 2005 and reported on the cord that links me to my homeland. live-stream, post and share content in real time . Israeli wars on Gaza in 2008 and 2012 as well as Palestinian-British academic and other major events. He has MA in International Fourth: The power of the author Ghada Karmi has said that “there is Relations, and currently a PhD candidate no question that social media has an focusing on media and colonialism. He is a picture important role, it is the best medium and former Reuters journalist fellow, attended Muthanna al-Najjar is a well-known primary source of information that people Oxford University and is a United Nations local Palestinian photojournalist. His use, as Palestinians are often under the alumni.

14 The Long View - Quarterly Magazine June 2019 / Shawaal 1440

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