The need for security agencies and the media to view and present Islam and Muslims as constant potential threats feeds into a dangerously violent and deadly Islamophobia.
As Canadians, we shouldn’t blame U.S. President Donald Trump for the rise of hatred here. He may have emboldened the so-called alt-right in Canada, but it was flourishing long before his election.
When people feel discriminated against because of their religion, they can feel threatened, triggering feelings of social isolation that can perhaps increase prejudice toward others.
A physician describes the warm welcome he received from Sudanese Muslims just this month when he visited Sudan. His experience comes in part, he writes, from their faith.
When politics of compassion are replaced by binary visions of the world, we – scholars, media and civil society – should be able to provide challenging tools in the migration debate.
Undertaking a Muslim education – coming to understand the faith’s teachings and its ideas about humanity – can have enormous value for anyone who wishes to tackle social conflicts.
After a question from a Muslim audience member, Senator-elect Pauline Hanson said “your Grand Mufti won’t even come out and condemn the terrorist attacks that’s happened overseas”. Is that right?
Pauline Hanson and her party will potentially be a divisive presence in the next parliament. The challenge, for a potential Coalition government in particular, will be just how to handle her.
Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University