Trump did not start Islamophobia but he will make it clear

• Islamophobia does not refer to theology – it is racism, aimed at Muslim markers. This may include the clothes that people carry, the food they eat, the places they live in, or the causes they support

– The author is a teacher of social theory and decolonial thinking.

Istanbul

The re -election of US President Donald Trump is not the cause of intensification of Islamophobia, but its symptom. For decades, opinion models and decision makers, think tank, social media and journalists were complicit in the spread and rooting of Islamophobia. Normalization of Islamophobia has allowed the far -right ideas to become mainstream. What was once considered the rhetoric of far -right extremists has now become public comments in Western plutocrats. Not only the electoral power of the far-right parties fed the growth of Islamophobia-organizations and parties on the left, center and right have all contributed to its expansion and escalation.

In the summer of 2024, before Trump’s re -election, an Islamophobic pogrom took place in the UK. Violence was caused by the rumor that a Muslim refugee killed three young girls. The mosques were attacked, the people perceived to be Muslims were physically assaulted on the streets, and the fire attacks were performed at refugee pensions. This shocked many who believed that the UK is one of the few Western nations in which Muslims could live in relative safety. However, as it proved, the perpetrator of the crimes was neither a refugee nor Muslim, but a British and Christian citizen. The manufacture and circulation of this rumor demonstrates how deep Islamophobia has become incorporated into society.

Islamophobia is not an earlier. They are not just technological billionaires, media moguli or demagogues that promote it – it is rooted in the criminal justice system, immigration policies and the education system. It is manifested in the demolition of the houses in the occupied Palestine and India Modi, in the coercive synification of the mosques of China, in the burning of the Qur’an, in minarets, in physical attacks on hijabi women both in Muslim countries and in non-Muslims, in acts of fire and crime, as well as in the case.

Trump’s re -election did not create Islamophobia, but clarified what to do. According to Gaza, even the most observers should now acknowledge that neither the United States nor the European Union can be considered trusted defenders of human and civil rights. After Trump’s re-election, it is clear that the far right ascension is not a blip that will be self-control.

Islamophobia binds ethno-nationalists worldwide. Allows the apartheid and genocide, allowing professional lights to mask themselves as journalists and truth stories. Indifference is no longer an option. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. We do not need more endless discussions about defining Islamophobia – we need concentrated actions to combat it.

What is needed is public education, not another definition. Myths persist: that Islamophobia is a reaction to Muslim behavior, that the fear of Islam is justified or that if only non-Muslims have understood “real Islam”, the problem would disappear. But Islamophobia does not refer to theology – it is about racism, directed to Muslim markers. This can include the clothes that people wear, the food they eat, the places they live in or the causes they support and change according to the locality and context. It does not matter if someone is a Muslim “practitioner”; Islamophobia aims at Muslim, regardless of faith.

Public Education and International Anti-Islamophobia Alliance

A large-scale public education campaign is required that understands Islamophobia as a form of racism, rather than as a religious disagreement and increases awareness of its impact on societies as a whole. No public education campaign can be successful without recognizing that Islamophobia is also a state project. Many governments and their agencies are dedicated to the perpetuation of Islamophobia, rather than to combat it. Islamophobia is a state project not only in Tel Aviv, Delhi or Paris, but some of the most persistent promoters of Islamophobia are members of the organization of Islamic cooperation. These Fitna regimes not only of Islamophobic personalities, band and Bankroll, but also offer platforms for Islamophobic influences and make back offers to support Islamophobia. Too many tyrants believe that their Islamophobia will immunize them from people like Trump and allow them to lead endlessly.

Public diplomacy and conventional diplomatic efforts are essential to challenge Islamophobia effectively. This requires a coordinated approach and setting up an international anti-Islamophobia alliance. Such an alliance would unite civilian and human rights organizations, media networks, unions, social media platforms and governments that recognize the dangers of Islamophobia. Working together, these actors can build a united front, promote awareness, cope with significant policy changes, and dismantle the ecology that allows Islamophobia to prosper internationally.

The most important question in combating Islamophobia is not only what to do, but who will take measures. In order for public education and public diplomacy to be effective against Islamophobia, a collective political will must be constituted. At the center of this collective effort it must be the recognition that the fight against Islamophobia is a struggle for justice and freedom.

*The opinions expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu’s editorial policy.

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