• World
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Central & South Asia
    • Europe
    • Latin America & Caribbean
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
    • US Election
    • US politics
    • Joe Biden
    • Brexit
    • European Union
    • India
    • Arab world
  • Economics
    • Finance
    • Eurozone
    • International Trade
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Startups
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Film
    • Books
    • Travel
  • Environment
    • Climate change
    • Smart cities
    • Green Economy
  • Global Change
    • Education
    • Refugee Crisis
    • International Aid
    • Human Rights
  • International Security
    • ISIS
    • War on Terror
    • North Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
  • Science
    • Health
  • 360 °
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice
  • About
  • FO Store
Sections
  • World
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Sign Up
  • Login
  • Publish

Make Sense of the world

Unique insight from 2,000+ contributors in 80+ Countries

Close

Islamophobia and the Wider Implications of the Ottawa Attacks

By Hanieh Khosroshahi • Nov 06, 2014

© Shutterstock

A hostile response toward the Muslim community undermines our ability to cope with social issues in a constructive way.

In light of the recent attacks in Quebec and Ottawa, discussions have centered on the nature of homegrown violence, security measures and new legislation that may be needed to keep the country safe, as well as the importance of strengthening Canadian values in the face of disruptive events. Most importantly, perhaps, is the concern over possible backlash against Muslim communities in Canada, and how that fits into a broader and more global task of fighting Islamophobia.

Stories of discrimination against Muslims and Islamic centers in the wake of the Ottawa shootings were symbolic of much more than fear and distrust that has become prevalent in Canadian society since the War on Terror. Messages such as, “I’m tired of these Muslims coming to our country” and “All our government needs to do is unrecognize Islam” were shared on social media. A mosque in Cold Lake, Alberta was vandalized, with the words “Go home” painted on its walls. Two of the mosque’s windows were also smashed.

On a national scale, it is crucial to note that this type of response undermines our core values of tolerance, diversity and acceptance. In a country where government officials and ordinary citizens take pride in the multiculturalism that exists in their society, these comments are not only offensive, but are also the exact barriers that will prevent us from moving forward. It is, nevertheless, important to not only delight ourselves in being part of a country that celebrates these vital values, but also attempt to live up to its standards.

And, in this particular case, Canadians certainly have. A few hours after the mosque was vandalized, people not only helped repair the damage, but also taped messages that read, “You are home” and “Love your neighbor” to the windows. In another incident, three young filmmakers created a video in which a Muslim man, dressed in full traditional Islamic attire, is harassed publicly at a bus top in Hamilton, Ontario. The man is told to take the next bus, fearing he could be a possible terrorist. Canadians were quick to confront the “racist,” saying in one instance: “You know what? You can’t stereotype and judge people by their clothes.” One bystander became so enraged that he even punched the actor. The social experiment has since gone viral.

The public’s reaction demonstrates that most Canadians will stand up in the face of abuse and racial intolerance, and that many understand that Muslims and Islamic communities should not be singled out because of the actions of religious extremists and Islamists. In addition, the response is reflective of how much Canadian society has developed and grown. In most cases, people understand that stereotyping and bigotry are not in line with Canadian values and that, instead, acceptance and tolerance are concepts that have become deeply integrated within the nation’s overarching culture.


Given that Islamophobia is a growing problem, we must first and foremost collectively denounce Islamophobia. The responsibility is two-way; as crucial as it is to condemn Islamist extremism and the acts of fundamentalists, it is just as necessary to respond similarly to prejudice and hatred toward Islam and its followers.


Internationally, these responses are reflective of wider Islamophobic attitudes that have become entrenched in some Western societies. Recent attacks on ordinary Muslims are due to the rise of extremist groups such as the Islamic State (IS). Despite the atrocities committed at the hands of IS, it is irrational to equate the actions and ideologies of Islamic fundamentalists to that of 1.6 billion peaceful and ordinary Muslims around the world. In other words, generalizing about Muslims, their communities and their faith based on the actions of IS, or attacks such as the Ottawa shootings, creates division, perpetuates hate and targets individuals who are just as passionate and dedicated to peace, security and democracy as their global counterparts are.

A hostile response toward the Muslim community and individuals linked to the faith undermines our ability to cope with these issues in a constructive way. Given that Islamophobia is a growing problem, we must first and foremost collectively denounce Islamophobia. The responsibility is two-way; as crucial as it is to condemn Islamist extremism and the acts of fundamentalists, it is just as necessary to respond similarly to prejudice and hatred toward Islam and its followers.

Secondly, it is important to refrain from excluding individuals and communities based on their religious beliefs. This exclusion creates a binary of us-and-them, where the majority of Muslims are denied the chance to be part of a conversation they must be a part of. To include Muslims in public discussions of Islam, which includes fighting extremism, is necessary, as their cooperation is needed in order to fight this global threat.

Lastly, among one of the many dangers Islamophobia presents is that it blocks and disables important conversations that we should be having in order to reconcile Islam and peace or East and West — ideas we have come to believe are incompatible with one another. This vision is undeniably more difficult, if not impossible, if we choose to fight extremism with extremism.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

Paul McKinnon / Shutterstock.com

Share Story
CategoriesCulture, North America, Opinion TagsCanada, Canadian, Islam, Islamophobia
Join our network of more than 2,000 contributors to publish your perspective, share your story and shape the global conversation. Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world.

Fair Observer Recommends

Back to School at Podcast High Back to School at Podcast High
By Andre Goulet • Sep 16, 2020
Unpacking the News Behind Justin Trudeau’s “Blackface” History Unpacking the News Behind Justin Trudeau’s “Blackface” History
By Andre Goulet • Oct 03, 2019
Canada Needs a New Electoral System Canada Needs a New Electoral System
By Matthew Clark • Oct 23, 2017

3 Replies to “Islamophobia and the Wider Implications of the Ottawa Attacks”

  1. Avatar douglas says:
    November 6, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    I very much doubt that this writer, Hanieh Khosroshahi, would write a similar article about Christianophobia or Catholicophobia, denouncing, for example, the Toronto Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who regularly host such events as “The Twisted Nativity Pageant.” Apparently, saying anything against Islam is hate-speech but saying anything against Christianity is free speech. Hypocrisy!

  2. Avatar douglas says:
    November 7, 2014 at 1:59 am

    wow, you got one comment and you censored it just because it didn’t fit your narrative. so much for free speech.

  3. Fair Observer Fair Observer says:
    November 7, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    Dear Douglas,

    Thank you for your comments.

    As stated, all “Comments are moderated” and only appear once a Fair Observer team member has reviewed messages from readers — this is to reduce spam messages and profanity. As shown above, both of your messages have been accepted.

    Fair Observer stands for diversity and debate with a plurality of perspectives from around the world. As our editorial policy states, if you do agree with anything we publish, please send us an alternative. For further information, please visit http://www.fairobserver.com/contribute.

    Regards

    Fair Observer

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Post navigation

Previous PostPrevious Iran Benefits From Not Being Part of the Anti-IS Coalition
Next PostNext “Good” and “Evil” in the Time of War
Subscribe
Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today.
Publish
Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse.
Donate
We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Explore

  • About
  • Authors
  • FO Store
  • FAQs
  • Republish
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Regions

  • Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Central & South Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America & Caribbean
  • Middle East & North Africa
  • North America

Topics

  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Environment
  • Global Change
  • International Security
  • Science

Sections

  • 360°
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice

Daily Dispatch


© Fair Observer All rights reserved
We Need Your Consent
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Privacy Policy. My Options I Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Edit Cookie Preferences

The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you.

As a convenience to you, Fair Observer provides buttons that link to popular social media sites, called social sharing buttons, to help you share Fair Observer content and your comments and opinions about it on these social media sites. These social sharing buttons are provided by and are part of these social media sites. They may collect and use personal data as described in their respective policies. Fair Observer does not receive personal data from your use of these social sharing buttons. It is not necessary that you use these buttons to read Fair Observer content or to share on social media.

 
Necessary
Always Enabled

These cookies essential for the website to function.

Analytics

These cookies track our website’s performance and also help us to continuously improve the experience we provide to you.

Performance
Uncategorized

This cookie consists of the word “yes” to enable us to remember your acceptance of the site cookie notification, and prevents it from displaying to you in future.

Preferences
Save & Accept