LiteratureReview

TheRiseofIslmophobia
VictoriaEspinoza
UniversityofTexasatElPaso
ProfessorHinojosa
RWS1302TH10:3011:50

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

FromJanuary7toJanuary9ofthisyear,morethan17peoplewereleftdeadinParis,
Franceasaresultofterroristretaliation.TheFrenchsatiricalmagazine,CharlieHebdo,wasthe
targetedgroup.ThishasbeenthemostdeadliestterrorattackinFranceindecades.Amongthe
victimswholosttheirlives,wastheeditorofthesatiricalmagazinealongwithothercelebrated
cartoonists.Theattackswereanoutcomeoffreedomofspeechandexpression.Themagazine
offendedandmockedtheIslamicreligion,whichleadtoextremereprisal.Themagazineprinted
severalissuesportrayingtheProphetMuhammadinwaysthatwouldoffendmanyreligious
Islamics.TheProphetMuhammad,alongwithotherreligiousprophets,wasdepictednaked,
posinginsexualpositions,andevenasahomosexual.Theseportrayalsinsultedmanyreligious
groupsandleadtothedeathsofcartoonistswhowereonlyexpressingthemselvesthroughart.
Thisreportwillfocusontwoquestionsthatwillbethoroughlyresearched.Thefirstbeing:How
haveMuslimsinFrancebeenaffectedaftertheParisAttacks?Second:Howhasthemediainthe
MiddleEastreactedtotheParisAttacks?Thesequestionswillbehelpfulindeterminingthe
causeoftheseverityoftheattacks.
HowhaveMuslimsinFrancebeenaffectedaftertheParisAttacks?
TheParisAttackshavecreatedalarmingtensionsbetweenMuslimsandnonMuslimsall
throughoutFrance.ThesocialgapbetweenEuropeandIslamisincreasingatanalarmingrate.
FrancecontainsthehighestpopulationofMuslimsinEuropeandthissetbackwillonlyworsen.
ThecountrycontinuestodivideitselfintoproandantiMuslimgroups.Theattackshave
triggeredastrongerIslamophobicreactioninFrancethaneverbefore.Thepresidentofthe
FrenchCounciloftheMuslimFaith,DalilBoubakeur,expressed,Wecannotletthese

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

perpetratorswhocannotclaimtobetrueMuslimsrepresentusorcreatethesenewlevelsof
confrontation.Weonlywanttoliveinpeace(ConroyFeb.1,2015).ManylikeDalilBoubakeur
feelthattheseactsofterrorhavedestroyedthereputationofMuslims.MuslimslivinginFrance
donotwanttobeisolatedorseenasathreatbecausetheytoo,fearMuslimextremists.Asurvey
conductedbymyselfrevealsthatmorethan70%ofparticipantsanswered,Notothequestion,
DoyoufeelitisoktodisplaytheProphetMohammedthewaytheCharlieHebdomagazine
did?Manyparticipantsfeelthattheywouldbejustasupsetiftheirownpersonalprophetshad
beenportrayedinthesamemanor.AlthoughmanyagreedthattheportrayalofProphet
Mohammedwaswrong,manyagreedinthesamesurvey,thatfreedomofspeechshouldnotbe
limited.Thecountryisnowdividingandthisseparationmightleadtomoreproblemstocome.
AmouriKhaoulaoftheUnionofFrenchIslamicOrganizations,said,"Weworrythatmore
peoplewillcometobelievethatIslamisathreat,thatMuslimsaretobefeared(ConroyFeb.1,
2015).Muslimsareespeciallyconcernedoverthisdividebecausetreatmenttowardsthemwill
onlycontinuetoworsen.Muslimsalreadyhaveacontroversialreputationandthefearthathas
beengenerateddoesnotsitwellwiththem.
AsaresultofrisingIslamophobiainFrance,Muslimsarenowbeingtargeted.Thosewho
arefearfulandfailtounderstandtheentireissuearenowusingviolenceastheultimateanswer.
AccordingtoTellMAMA,anorganizationthattracksantiMuslimviolence,therehavebeen15
attacksagainstMuslimssincetheCharlieHebdoshootings(Diehm,SchellerJan9,2015).
ManyMuslimslivinginFrancefeeltheyaremistrustedandmistreated.Since2005,therehave
beenatotalof691IslamophobicincidentsinFrance(Diehm,SchellerJan9,2015).Although
FrancehashadalonghistoryofIslamophobia,ithasincreasedimmenselysincetheParis

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

Attacksofearlythisyear.AccordingtosurveysdonebyIpsos,aresearchcompanybasedin
Paris,haverevealedthat74%ofFrenchcitizensdonotthinkIslamiscompatiblewithFrench
society(Diehm,SchellerJan9,2015).ThepeopleofFrancearededicatedtotheircountryand
yearnforapurerFrenchsociety.ThisentailsreplacinggroupslikeMuslimsandJews,with
purelybasedFrenchones.HowevertheriseofMuslimsinFrancehasledtoconcernsover
maintainingthesecularismthatisseenascentraltoFrenchsociety(Diehm,SchellerJan9,
2015).ThisprovesthatthereareseriousconcernsregardingtheIslamicreligion.Muslimsin
Francefeeltheyarebeingstrippedoftheirreligiousrightsandwonderiftheywillcontinuetobe
punishedbythismodernformofreligiouspersecution.Francepassedalawin2004,which
bannedtheuseofhijabsandotherreligioussymbolsfrompublicschools.In2014,ahuman
rightscourtupheldaFrenchlawbanningcoveringone'sfaceinpublic,whichwaswidelyseenas
targetingburqasandniquabs(Diehm,SchellerJan9,2015).Theseactsdisturbthenormal
customsandtraditionsofMuslims.Muslimsarenolongerabletopracticeandobeysomeof
theirreligioustraditionsandthiscouldbedetrimental.
HowhasthemediaintheMiddleEastreactedtotheParisAttacks?
ItisclearhowFrancehasreactedtotheParisAttacks,butitisunclearhowthemediain
theMiddleEasthasreacted.TherearemixedemotionsandoutcomesregardingtheParisAttacks
intheMiddleEast.Mostofworldisawareofthetragedybutmanydisagreeonwhetherthe
attacksweredeservedornot.TheIraniangovernmentseemstohavehadthemostcoverageon
thetopic,dedicatingmostofitsfrontpagetoalargephotooftheevent,withtheheadline:
BloodyShowOfTerroristsInParis(ParaszczukMarch18,2015).Althoughthecoveragein
Iranwasdiverse,itwascoverednonetheless.Amoreindependentandreformistleaning

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

newspapersuchasSharqhadalottosayonthematter.Theheadlineontheeventwasranatthe
bottomofSharqsfrontpageandread:ShootingAttheHeartOfEurope.Thenewspaper
slammedtheFrenchmagazine,CharlieHebdo,forpublishingthecartoonsoftheProphet
Muhammad.Thenewspaperread:ItisnotacceptablethatthepresidentofFrancedefendsthe
freedomofspeechinhisspeechaftertheattacksThispopularjournalhadpublishedan
insultingillustrationoftheProphetofIslamrevisingrelationswithmoderateIslamiccountries
suchasIran,whicharepursuingconfrontationwithextremismthenameofIslam,canleadto
mutualunderstandingandtotheeliminationoftheatmosphereofviolence.
AnotherconservativeIslmaicnewspaper,ResalatDaily,condemnedtheentirecountryof
Franceforitswrongdoings.Thenewspaperclaimedthattheattackwasaresultofsupportfor
antiIslamicmediaandothergroups(ParaszczukMarch18,2015).Thisparticularnewspaper
statesthatFrancesupportedthesatiricalworkofCharlieHebdoallalongandisthereforeto
blamefortheattacks.Thenewspaperclaimsthat"Boostingtheactivitiesofextremistandanti
Islamgroupsandmedia(ofwhichCharlieHebdowasone)hasledtothecurrentsecuritydisaster
inEurope,"andthat"Francehasexperiencedthebittertasteofsupportingterrorism"(Paraszczuk
March18,2015).ThestaffofResalatDailyseemstobejumpingtoconclusionsbybelieving
thatFranceistoblamefortheattacksbymerelysupportingthecartoons.
Onthecontrary,coverageovertheParisAttacksinIraqwaskepttoabareminimum.
OnlythreemajorIraqinewspaperscoveredtheattacks,twoofwhichwerestoriessyndicated
frommajorWesternwireservices.Thethirdstory,byAlSabahalJadid,carriedstatements
condemningtheattackbyworldleaders,includingU.S.PresidentBarackObamaandBritish

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

PrimeMinisterDavidCameron(ParaszczukMarch18,2015).Tonosurprise,mostofthe
coverageintheMiddleEastcompletelycondemnstheattack.
HowdidAmericansviewMuslimsafterthe9/11AttacksontheWorldTradeCenter?
OnNovember11,2001theWorldTradeCentercomplexinNewYorkCitywasthe
targetforapremeditatedsuicideattackbyIslamicterroristgroupalQaeda.Theattacksresulted
inthedeathofoverathousandinnocentpeopleandstrucktheheartsofAmericansacrossthe
nation.Theresultoftheseattacksnotonlyresultedinmanydeaths,butalsoanincreasein
Islamophobia.AccordingtoOxfordDictionaries,Islmophobiaisthedislikeoforprejudice
againstIslamorMuslims,especiallyasapoliticalforce.Thisactderivessolelyoutoffearor
hatredandhasincreasedsincethe9/11Attacks.Asurveyconductedbymyself,revealedthat
whenaskedHowuncomfortableareyouaroundMuslimsonascalefrom11010participants
outof15answeredbetween710.Manyoftheparticipantshesitatedwhenansweringthis
questionbuttheyallchosearelativelyhighnumber.FollowingSeptember11,2001,theFederal
BureauofInvestigation(FBI)reporteda1,700percentincreaseofhatecrimesagainstMuslim
Americansbetween2000to2001(Ecklund2012).Thisrevealsthatimmediatelyafterthe9/11
attacks,hatredagainstMuslimAmericansincreasedexponentially.ManyMuslimslivingin
Americahaveexperiencedintentionaldiscriminationandjudgment.
AmericanshavebeenconditionedtodiscriminateagainstMuslimsfordecadesandthe
situationisonlyworsening.AsurveyrevealedthatattitudestowardsMuslimAmericansarefar
moreextremeinspecificsituationalcontexts;specificallywhenMuslimAmericanswere
boardingaplaneorsellingausedcar(Ecklund2012).Thesespecificsituationshavecreated
skepticismandfearforAmericans.Airportsecurityhasalsointensifiedacrossthenationafter

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the9/11attacks.JustoneincidenthascompletelychangedtheperceptionofMuslimsin
America,andaroundtheworld.TherisingissueofIslmophobiaissoextremethat84percentof
the12to18yearoldMuslimAmericanparticipantsrevealedthattheyhadfacedatleastoneact
ofdiscriminationinthepreviousyear(September2011Clay).Thispercentageisalarminglyhigh
andisalsopredictedtoincreaseinthenearfuture.ManyMuslimsfearfortheirfuturelivesin
AmericaandinEurope.Accordingtoasurveyconductedbymyself,all15participantssaidthat
asaresultofthe9/11Attacks,theirviewsofMuslimschangedinanegativeway.Muslimsargue
thattheyarenotallinvolvedinterroristbehaviorsandtheconceptionoftheirfaithhasbeen
completelydemolishedbythewrongfulactsofothers.MuslimslivinginAmericahaverevealed
theirstrongfearofhatecrimesandthreatstotheirsafety,anxietyaboutthefuture,isolationand
lossofcommunityandstigmatization(September2011Clay).TheriseofIslamophobiadrives
manyMuslimstofearfortheirsafetyandoverallwellbeing.
MuslimslivinginAmericahavebeenaffectedbyfirstthe9/11Attacksandnowbythe
ParisAttacks.Muslimsareunsureofhowtheirliveswillbeinthenearfutureasaresultofthese
attacks.Inasurveyconductedbymyself,therewasasplitdecisionwhenasked,Doyouthink
Muslimswilleverbetreatedfairly?ItseemsthatAmericansareunsureofwhatthefutureholds
forMuslimAmericans.Somehopeforthebestforthemwhilemosthopefortheworst.Muslims
aregreatlymisunderstoodanddeemedaviolentterroristicgroup.Perhapsamoreempathetic
viewofMuslimswillleadtobettercircumstancesforMuslimsinAmerica.

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References

RebeccaA.Clay(September2011)MuslimsinAmerica,post9/11
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/muslims.aspx

ErinConroy(February1,2015)FrancefearsincreasedpolarizationafterCharlieHebdoattack.
http://www.dw.de/francefearsincreasedpolarizationaftercharliehebdoattack/a
18180817/

JanDiehm,AlissaScheller(January9,2015)AntiMuslimAttacksAfterCharlieHebdo
HighlightFrance'sLongHistoryOfIslamophobia
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/islamophobiainfrance_n_6445064.html

KathrynEcklund(2012)AttitudesTowardMuslimAmericansPost9/11
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jmmh/10381607.0007.101/attitudestowardmuslim
americanspost911?rgn=main;view=fulltext

JoannaParaszczuk(March28,2015)MuslimPressReactsToCharlieHebdoAttack
http://www.rferl.org/content/muslimpressreactscharliehebdoattack/26783014.html

RWS1302LiteratureReview:TheRiseofIslmophobia

SurveyQuestions

1. HowuncomfortableareyouaroundMuslims?
Scalefrom110
2. Afterthe9/11AttacksoftheWorldTradeCenter,didyourviewofMuslimschange?
YesorNo
3. Shouldfreespeecheverbelimited?
YesorNo
4. DoyoufeelitisoktodisplaytheProphetMohammedthewaytheCharlieHebdo
magazinedid?
YesorNo
5. DoyouthinkMuslimswilleverbetreatedfairlybythenonMuslimpopulation?
YesorNo

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