Islamophobia refers to prejudice against or hatred of Muslims. The document discusses some of the key reasons for and consequences of Islamophobia. The main reasons given are terrorism by some Muslim extremist groups and underlying racism in Western societies. Some politicians exploit fears of terrorism to promote anti-Muslim policies. Media coverage also fuels Islamophobia by disproportionately linking Islam with terrorism. Consequences include stereotyping of Muslims, discrimination, hate crimes against Muslims rising, and policies targeting mosques and Muslim students.

1. Islamophobia
Ayman Refaat

2. Topics
• What is Islamophobia?
• The Reasons Behind Islamophobia.
• The Consequences of Islamophobia.

3. What is Islamophobia?

6. • So, although Semites are people of the Middle East
including the Hebrews (Jews) and Arabs, Why the
term “Antisemitism” is used in the United States to
refer to prejudice against Jews only?
• Should the term be “Anti Jews” or “Anti
Hebrews”?
• Why does the term “Antisemitism” not include
prejudice against Arab?
• Is that because the American society does not
realize yet the prejudice against Arab?
• So do we need a new term such as “Anti Arab” or
“Anti Islam”?
• Is Islamophobia not Anti Islam?

8. The Reasons Behind Islamophobia
• Terrorism.
• Racism.

9. Islamophobia
Racism Terrorism
Terroris
m
Terroris
m

10. The First Reason: Terrorism

12. • Some Muslims
groups, such as
Al-Qaeda and
I.S.I.S., Bomb
some targets in
the western
countries.

13. • These groups consider terrorism as their way to
defend the Muslim land in Palestine, Afghanistan,
and Iraq, from the western attacks.
• They believe that their attacks on western targets
are the revenge and reaction to two centuries of
European colonization, and the western absolute
support for Israel against Arab interests.
• Plus, a number of I.S.I.S. leaders were inmates in
the U.S. military prison in Iraq “Abu Ghraib”, and
they got abused there, before they were released.

15. • These groups ignore the Islamic moral rules for the wars,
such as the rule: "Do not fight whom did not fight."
• The terrorist attacks are a betrayal of those who give you
their trust, and Islam does not allow that.
• When the Muslims were defeated in the battle of Uhud
the prophet Muhammad accepted the defeat as a lesson to
teach Muslims for next battle, but he did not send them to
Mecca to sneak its people or burn their houses.
• The killing of civilians is a crime that is unrelated to any
other crime committed by others, even if the killer
himself was a victim of these other crimes. Murder is a
crime in both cases.
• Even Qur'an said "No bearer of burdens will bear
another's burden.” 35:18

16. The Other Reason: Racism
• There is a remnant of the racism history in
American society against everything that is not
WASP (white Anglo-Saxon Protestant), not only
against Muslims.
• Some Americans see the rise of non-Christian
religions in the United States as a posed threat to
the social fabric of the nation, although only
21.5% of Americans are non-Christian.
• Beside the fact is that the United States has never
been religiously homogeneous.

17. • In 2014 there were two hate crimes against non
Christians in Kansas City:
o Two men were killed outside the Jewish
Community Center.
o A student was killed outside the Somali
Islamic center.
• FBI were classified both crimes as hate crimes
against Jews and Muslims. The killers were
arrested and charged.

20. • The media feeds this phobia.
• Some politicians use it.
• Stereotype Muslims and Islam.
• Hate crimes against Muslims rise sharply.
The Consequences of Islamophobia

21. 1- Media
• The media feeds this phobia.
• For example, …

22. Why is this crime not terrorism?

23. Why is this crime not terrorism?

24. Why is this crime not terrorism?

25. But this crime is terrorism?

26. • Are not all these crimes lynching (informal
public executions by a mob in order to punish
an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate a
minority group)?

27. Why is this Mass Shooting not terrorism?

28. Why is this Mass Shooting not terrorism?

29. But this Mass Shooting is terrorism?

30. Why is this Mass Shooting not terrorism?

31. But this Mass Shooting is terrorism?

32. • Why do they call every crime that is committed
by Muslims "terrorism", but they do not call same
crime "terrorism" if it is committed by non
Muslim?
• I do not deny every crime committed by Muslims.
I just deny that all of Muslims crimes are
terrorism.
• Mass shootings have long history in the United
States. Its news tends to be normal news now, and
nobody talks about the religion of the shooters, or
call them terrorists, unless they are Muslims.

33. • Actually, they called some shooters psychopath,
especially, if they are WASP.

34. • So why cannot some Muslims be psychopath?

35. • I do not believe in conspiracy theory, but is it not
a conspiracy to link Islam with terrorism? and
charge Muslims as terrorists?
• But why? What are the goals of this conspiracy ?

36. • To save the Republican Party from the clear
disintegration in the current presidential election.
• To implement the far-right agenda in:
- Banning Muslims and registering them in a
database, exactly, like the registration of Jews in
Nazi Germany.
- Stand up to the liberals’ plan in guns control.
- Prevent refugees.
- Liquidating the Palestinian case.
• To justify Western military presence in the Arab
region, where the resources of oil.

37. 2- Politicians
• Some politicians use this phobia.
• For example, after I.S.I.S. attacked Paris in
November 2015, the presidential candidate
Donald Trump called “for registering all
American Muslims in a database”, exactly, like
the registration of Jews in Nazi Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbZt8B3S4is

38. • Also after San Bernardino shooting
in December last year, the same
presidential candidate called “for a
total and complete shutdown of
Muslims entering the United States
until our country's representatives can
figure out what the hell is going on!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRxozK6Bpvk

39. • So, he called for a ban on all Muslims; because
most terrorists now are Muslims.
• So, can we lock down all African Americans
because most criminal gangs are African
Americans?
• Or can we lock down all Caucasian Americans
because serial killers are Caucasian
Americans?

40. • Some Americans misunderstand Islam, and their
misunderstanding became like stereotypes that
support the Islamophobia.
• One of these famous stereotypes is that Jihad is
the fight or Islamic holy war against Christians.
• Trump expressed this stereotype when he said:
“our country cannot be the victims of horrendous
attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and
have no sense of reason or respect for human
life."
3- Stereotypes

41. • But the truth is that Jihad is an Arabic word that means struggle, resisting,
or striving.
• There are two different types of jihad:
1. the greater jihad is an inner spiritual struggle,
2. and the lesser jihad is an outer physical struggle against the enemies of
Islam, which may take:
o a violent (war)
o or non-violent form (advice).
Jihad
Greater Lesser
Inner spiritual
struggle
Outer physical struggle against the enemies
of Islam
Violent Non-violent
War Advice

42. • Prophet Muhammad explained the greater jihad when he
told his companions after a war: “We came from the
lesser jihad to the greater jihad.” They asked him: “What
is the greater jihad?” He said: “The struggle against
oneself.” Also, he explained the non-violent jihad when
he said: “The best Jihad is the word of justice in front of
the oppressive ruler.”
• Qur'an stipulates one condition for violent jihad when it
said: “Fight in the way of God those who fight you but do
not assault. Indeed. God does not like the assaulters”
(2:190). It is to defend, not to attack.

43. • Not all Americans have Islamophobia or believe
in its stereotypes.
• For example, President Obama said at National
Prayer Breakfast in February 05, 2015:
• “And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to
some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the
Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of
Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often
was justified in the name of Christ. Michelle and I returned
from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of
magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years,
religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by
other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their
beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhi,
the person who helped to liberate that nation. So this is not
unique to one group or one religion.” https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=XU7RuilNq4w

44. 4- Hate crimes against Muslims

45. Hate Crimes and
Discrimination

50. Targeting Mosques

54. Armed Anti-Islam Demonstrations

57. Targeting Students and Education

58. Muslim-Free Businesses