Rise of Islamophobia

8/3/2019 Rise of Islamophobia

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www.mpacuk.org


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www.mpacuk.org


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ORIGINSIslamophobia has always existed throughout the

ages:

Pre-Islamic Arabs

Christian Crusaders

Colonialist Period Present day


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PRE-ISLAMIC ARABSThe Quran talks extensively about the abuse Muslims suffered at the hands of

the oppressors in Arabia. Hence Makkan Surahs focuson building patiencethrough struggle and Madinan Surahs focus on more practical elements.

O you who have believed, persevereand endure and remain stationed and

fear Allah that you may be successful.-Quran 3:200


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Figures such as Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and Umm Jameel were theinfluential Islamophobes of their time

Geert Wilders-Dutch Freedom Party Robert Spencer-Jihad WatchPamela Geller-Stop Islamization of America


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Similarly, you had non Muslims that spoke up for Muslim rights, such as AbuTalib

Robert Fisk-journalist Jeremy Corbyn MPJody McIntyre-political activist and blogger


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CHRISTIAN CRUSADERSThey have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in

seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches anddevastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for awhile with impurity, the faithful

of God will be much more widely attacked by them.-Pope Urban IIto the Crusaders

Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, 1, pp. 382 f., trans in Oliver J. Thatcher, and EdgarHolmes McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History, (New York: Scribners,1905), 513-17

Ludovico Maracci, confessor to Pope Innocent XI


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COLONIALIST PERIOD Two of the biggest empires of the world were of the French and the British, particularly in

Muslim lands.

The Spanish and Dutch did conquer some Muslim lands, though not as much.

Main opponent of the West European colonialists was the Islamic Ottoman Empire (KhilafahOthmaniyeh).

French colonies 1534-1980British colonies 1497-1997


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During Western European colonialism, large amounts of propaganda against Muslimswas created to aid demoralising the Muslims.

Divide and conquer tactics were used, to which we are still today, victims.

La Vie de Mahomet by M. Prideaux 1699

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis


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ERAS OF ISLAM IN BRIEF 1

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Righteous Caliphate

Ummayad Dynasty

Abbasid Dynasty

Ottoman Dynasty

Present Day

Strength andbelief

TimeNo. of Muslims


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ERAS OF MUSLIMS IN BRIEF 2As shown on the previous slide, as time goes on, the number of Muslims hasincreased and yet our strength and belief (Eemaan) has decreased!

A frightening Hadeeth below highlights our reality

Anas ibn Malik said, "I shall tellyou a hadith which I heard fromthe Messenger of Allah, andwhich no-one will tell you afterme. I heard him say, 'Among

the signs of the Hour will be thedisappearance of knowledgeand theappearance ofignorance..'" SaheehBukhari and Muslim


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SO, HOWDID WE GET INTO

THIS MESS???


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 1 Islamic identity was slowly eroded by the introduction of un-Islamic ideologies such

as nationalism, capitalism, anthropomorphism, monarchy (to name a few).

These new ideologies, fuelled by the desires of men began to fester rifts betweenMuslims over centuries.

An indication of this is that after the death of Imam Ali, subsequent dynasties werenamed after tribes (i.e. Umayyad after Banu Umayyah (Amawy))

Abbasid Dynasty control


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 2 Lands were corrupted due to greed over Islam. At the end of the 800 odd years that Muslims

had been in the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain, Portugal and part of the south ofFrance), the Peninsula was made up of many competing kingdoms, as opposed to a unifiedIslamic governance

Ideologies coming from the Roman Empires, as well as Greek philosophy which were un-Islamic crept in.

These ideologies were used to divide the Muslims further.


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 3 By the time the Ottoman era kicked in, nationalism crept in, such that mainland Turkey

stopped making Arabic language compulsory

This caused the parrot-fashion style of memorising the Quran, which is prevalent in many

Mosques today, where we learn the words without comprehension


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During the 11th Century, things became worse. Muslims lost territory such as Sicily, SouthFrance, Jerusalem (1st Crusade).

By 1492, all of Spain and Portugal expelled Jewish and Muslim communities.

In 1258, Baghdad (Capital of the Abbasid Dynasty) was destroyed by the Mongols under

Hulagu Khan. Baghdad (Iraq) and Toledo (Spain) were two great centres of civilisation in the Muslim

world. With those two cities now destroyed, the Ummah was in ruins. Many great scholarsand inventers died during the collapse of Al Andalus (Iberia) and Baghdad.

DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 4


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 5 With most of the major scholars dead, many new scholars felt uncomfortable performing Ijtihad.

Hence there are relatively few memorable scholarly and thinkers names, after the sacking ofBaghdad, compared with the eras before

As a result, old Fatawa were recycled without considering new ruling, and scholars were fiercelydivided over Madh-hab.

Masjid al Haram with four jamaat Muhammed AbduhJamal ud-Din Al Afghani


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 6 As a lot of new ideas from various thinkers were forming, there were many attempts to

infuse Islam with another ideology. Many ideologies were there to help the European Colonialists in their attempts to divide and

conquer the Muslim lands. Sykes-Picot agreement was a British and French collaboration to divide lost Ottoman

territory between themselves.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmed

Far right: Sir MarkSykes.Middle: Franois Picot


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 7 The Islamic Leadership was being destroyed due to the successful divide and conquer

tactics of the Colonialists. Ideologies based on nationalism and secularism were becomingprevalent and aided in the destruction of Islamic State.

The Ottoman Empire became reduced after World War I, causing Turkey to become a

secular republic. Other states were created on the basis of Muslims fighting one anothersuch as Saudia Arabia, UAE, Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria among others.

Sultan Abdlmecid II, Last Sultan of Ottoman Empire Sheikh AbdulKader ElDjazeiri, Algerian Liberator Sheikh Omar Al Mukhtar, leader of Libyan resiance


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 8 In Libya, the Italians caused a lot of destruction.

As the European Colonialists were enjoying post-Renaissance era enlightenment, theMuslim nations continued to regress. All the centres of intellectual development were in

Western Europe. The consequence of this was that Muslims became secular and turnedIslam into a purely spiritual and ritualistic entity.

The Muslims continued to give less importance to Islam and instead were obsessed withappeasing their colonial masters. This generated an inferiority complex

University of SorbonneKeble College, University of Oxford


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 9 Even during World War I, Muslim lands and armies of Muslims were on both sides. Muslims

from India aided the British Empire, North Africans aided the French Empire and the Germanswere aided by the Turkish Ottomans (who disintegrated after WWI via various treaties).

Post-WWI Muslim leaders were/are either colonialist or colonialist supported (Kemal Attatrk

was supported by the British), there was no proper Islamic leadership left.

Mustafa Kemal Attatrk, 1st Presidentof the Republic of Turkey

King Abdul Aziz Aal Saud, first declaredKing of Saudia Arabia

Shah Reza Pahlevi, first Shah of Iran


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DESTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 10 Socially, the Muslims became destroyed, as the best minds were sent to learn science,

whereas the ones who were less academic were sent to Mosque schools. This instigated a vicious cycle where the strict Muslim was the Mosque going, culturally

conservative, generally deemed to be backward type; and the Muslim that has a more

Westernised appearance and spoke French or English was the forward thinking,,fashionable type.


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MODERN DAY CONSEQUENCES 1 Muslims are always divided due to a false sense of religiosity and religiousness.

There is no proper leadership among the Muslims.

Anybody who tries to re-establish any Islamic practice is seen as an extremist.

Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz


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MODERN DAY CONSEQUENCES 2 Despite large numbers of Muslims on Earth, we are easily the most oppressed and humiliated.

Most scholars are out of touch with society and vice versa due to secularism.

As the great Muslim thinkers are seldom encouraged into Islamic development, the scholars in

this day and age are often not the best minds. Muslim lands contain schools that are British, French or American in syllabus.

Seldom is the Islamic and Muslim history taught anywhere.


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MODERN DAY CONSEQUENCES 3 As Muslims are powerless, we are often exploited by the media, bankers and politicians.

We are always trying to please by attempting to integrate; we see it as trying to fit in withmodern and contemporary society and believe we are giving Islam a good name.

The reality however, is contrary. The old colonialists see it as a deficiency in the Muslims andbelieve that the fact you are trying to integrate with them shows a lack of strength.

Look now at France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark etc.


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ISLAMOPHOBIA HAS ALWAYSEXISTED

Right from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through to today,Islamophobia has always existed , and is seen in all forms of media.

The difference now is that Muslims are powerless and hence, we are feeling the effects ofIslamophobia much more than before.


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RESOURCES Chronicles of Shariah: Evolution of Fiqh, Al Kauthar Institute Evolution of Fiqh, Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips

History of Islam, Akbar Shah Najeebabadi The History of Islamic Spain, Syed Aziz ur-Rehman Usool ut-Tafseer Module Two, Islamic Online University Movie: Lion of the Desert (1981) starring Anthony Quinn and

Oliver Reed

The Rise and Fall of Al Andalus (audio), Sheikh TawfiqueChoudhary

The Hidden Debt to Islamic Civilisaton, Dr. S. E. Al-Djazairi

Rise of Islamophobia

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