Islamophobia

   Prejudice against or demonisation of Muslims which manifests itself in general negative attitudes and stereotyping, discrimination, harassment and, at worst, violence. Fear or hatred of Muslims has been on the increase in recent years. The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the London bombings provoked anti-Muslim feeling among a section of the white population, some of whom associated the activities of any disaffected young Muslims with al-Qaeda terrorism. There have been examples of Muslim communities suffering from mindless and irrational attacks, involving verbal and physical abuse.

   Western governments have identified al-Qaeda and its network of terrorists as being the instigators of the mass killing in NewYork, London and elsewhere, but have been careful to point out that in Afghanistan and Iraq they are fighting terrorism, not Islam. The reaction of most British Muslims of whatever background to such events was one of shock, horror and near disbelief that any of their number could have committed or been associated with such actions. Some victims of the explosions were Muslims and so were many of those involved in the rescue exercises and the medical teams. The Muslim community is much troubled by the suggestion that they are complicit in or supportive of political extremism. They fear that in the media the image portrayed of Islam is a negative one.