Role of Muslim world in Islamophobia

The major factors behind the current turmoil and chaos in the Muslim world include the greed of some Western countries as well as how they perceive Islam.

Unfortunately, in most Western countries, Islam is associated with terrorism. The media, civil society organizations, some radical Christian movements and even politicians have played a role in the emergence of such a negative image of Islam.

Even though anti-Islamic sentiments reached a peak in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the origin of these sentiments can be found even before the Crusades.

But undoubtedly, the impact and role of the Muslim world and societies cannot be ignored in the exacerbation of this phobia, which we should simply take as animosity vis-à-vis Islam.

Today, it is possible to see strong radical movements in many Muslim countries, from Afghanistan to Nigeria, and from Iraq to the Gulf States. Bombs are detonated in different parts of the Muslim world on a daily basis and many people are murdered in these attacks. But for what are these attacks being staged? Are not the killers and the victims both Muslims?

In the Muslim world, where conspiracy theories are prevalent, most believe that Western intelligence agencies support the terrorist organizations detonating the bombs. Even though this argument is valid, it is the Muslims who use the bombs. And when they use these bombs, they rely on some twisted references to Islam that they have misinterpreted.

For what and against who does a Taliban member detonate bombs in a corner of Afghanistan today? Or in Iraq, where the sectarian divide causes bloodshed, how do Shiites and Sunnis commit suicide attacks against each other? Despite the fact that Islam bans such actions, Muslims are being killed in every part of the Muslim world in the name of Islam.

So, has the Muslim world united to deal with this problem? Absolutely not. Some Muslim countries even provide sources for these radical movements. Some fund them, while others create the ideological grounds for them. However, some Muslim countries stage reactions when an attack is staged in Western countries, whereas bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq and Nigeria are considered ordinary.

If it wants to fight Islamophobia in the West, the Muslim world needs to address the bombings and radical ideologies on its soil first. Muslim scholars should send strong messages against radicalism. However, this is unfortunately not being done. For instance, how many Islamic scholars or Muslim countries recognize al-Qaeda as a terrorist organization that undermines the image of Islam?

Still, many Muslim scholars resort to different pretexts to justify al-Qaeda and its attacks. These scholars do not fight against the movements which constitute the ideological basis of such organizations as al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Quranic verses on jihad are still interpreted to justify the murder of people and detonating bombs.

And out of fear of being murdered, many scholars fail to adopt a clear stance against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. If we, as the Muslim world, blame the West for hypocrisy in respect to animosity against Islam, we need to take brave steps.

We need to show that Islam is a religion revealed to maintain peace. But, unfortunately, there is chaos and turmoil in every part of the Muslim world. Many Muslims are being killed in the name of Islam; the number of such victims is far greater than the people killed by the US, Russia and Britain.

Sadly, the countries where radical movements are based are administered by dictatorships and these regimes are controlled by Western countries, including the US. And this poses the greatest issue and problem.

If Western countries use Islamophobia as an element of pressure against Islamic countries, the role of the Muslim world in the emergence of Islamophobia cannot be ignored.