Research Paper on Discrimination and Racism Against the Muslims

Introduction

Muslims are among the largest religious groups in the world that practice Islam. Muslims have a strong feeling towards their religion and most of them are willing and able to defend their faith and beliefs with their lives in case they encounter anyone that does not share the same sentiments (Bell, 2018). The Muslims defend their religious beliefs and believe in fighting on behalf of their Supreme Being, Allah, with the notion that they will be rewarded once they die and reach the heavens. They also regard non-Muslims as individuals that have broken the rules as portrayed in their religious book, the Quran (Alsultany, 2013). This hostility that Muslims portray towards other people has scared off non-Muslims who perceive them as harsh and hostile, making it impossible for both groups of persons to engage in a conversation without one suspecting the other. This is one of the origins of discrimination and racism for the Muslims.

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Additionally, Muslims have been regarded as the major planners and funders of terrorist attacks that have taken place across different parts of the world (Bell, 2018; Alsultany, 2013). This is because attackers that have taken credit for the attacks have always been Muslims, making the minds of the public have an attitude towards Muslims. For instance, the September 11 attack was credited to Muslims who targeted creating a disastrous effect in the United States, with the aim of causing distractions and disruptions to the lives of people and businesses. Further, globally outlawed groups like the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraqi and Syria (ISIS) release videos on the internet and illustrate their prowess and readiness to attack (Cheng, 2015). They also show live video assassinating non-Muslims by beheading them, as a punishment for rejecting the religion they proclaim to be the right one in the world. Additionally, there are videos circulating on the internet showing the outlawed group training and recruiting young men and women, while reciting verses from the Quran (Alsultany, 2013). The image created by a small group of Muslims creates a negative perception of the public, which then assumes that all Muslims have the same attitude towards war. This justifies the rejection and discrimination of Muslims since the public assumes that they are members of terrorist groups.

Theories and Ideologies That Have Led to Discrimination Against Muslims

Ideologies that have triggered the discrimination against the Muslims has been fueled by the assumption that this group practice terrorism. The geopolitical forces are also a contributing factor. Both ideologies were developed at the beginning of the 20th Century. Further, the theory of Islamophobia was supported by the fear that the public had towards Islam believers. Theories explaining the origin of the term Islamophobia have been attributed the regular attacks on the United States and Europe, the emergence of the ISIS, and the most recent September 11 event. All attacks have attracted global attention, instilling a long-standing fear among people. Further, the commitment that Muslims have towards their religion has been one of the driving factors towards Islamophobia.

Members of the public have felt some form of social anxiety when interacting with Muslims. The attitude towards Muslims has made most people avoid working or being in partnership with Muslims, which leads to discrimination against Islam as a religion and Muslims. The concept of Islamophobia has also created an enabling environment for racism against Muslims. People that look like Muslims or have their names resemble people who practice Islam are often pre-judged and viewed as a threat to social groups. This prejudice has limited the acceptance of Muslims in different social circles as they are believed to attract violence and fight against anyone that does not share their religious beliefs. Muslims consider themselves a permanent enemy of Christians and do not shy from exposing their cruelty to them. The justification for the Mistreatment against the Muslims

Alsultany (2013) stated that most non-Muslims perceive the Muslims as people unwilling to accommodate the diversity that exists in the world, which then justifies the mistreatment subjected to the Muslims. The world all over has people practicing different religious practices and the only way people can live with each other in harmony is through toleration, and giving each other space and time to do what one pleases, as long as it does not distract the others. Muslims are considered barbaric and violent (Lum, 2010). Their irrational attitude and unwillingness to value other people as equals had motivated other members of the public to consider them as a separate group from the others. In the West, Muslims are assumed to be inferior to the locals. This means that any form of hostility towards Muslims is considered a normal act, and anyone that acts otherwise is thought to be abnormal. Muslims have also positioned themselves in the public as people that do not want to associate with others.

Strategies, Programs, and Policies That Have Intervened to Reduce Discrimination

Globally, there has been a public outcry from the Muslims complaining about the ill treatment they receive from non-Muslims. They advocate for fair treatment of Islamic believers, with the notion that non-Muslims mistreat and misunderstand their followers based on a few people that have chosen to engage in criminal activities (Alsultany, 2013). Both Muslims and non-Muslims have come together with the main aim of coming up with strategies and policies to ensure that people live in harmony together and that no person will be discriminated against based on their religion or race. Some of the specific strategies that have been used include, but not limited to:

The Office for Democratic Institutions for Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are some of the international bodies that have been in the limelight advocating for intolerance, racism, oppression, and discrimination against the Muslims to end. The two bodies have partnered so that they can educate the public on ways to reduce hostility against the Muslims.

Workshops and seminars have been held in different parts across the world as global leaders and different stakeholders come together to fight the social menace affecting the Muslims. Trainers have embraced policies aimed at educating the public on the role they play in increasing the prejudice against the Muslims, and the responsibility they have towards their fellow human beings.

Websites have been put up where the public and anyone from the Islam religion can upload videos as evidence to report the hate crimes that increase the discrimination and prejudice against the Muslims. For instance, the Hate Crime Reporting website is a data collecting platform where anyone can report on speeches or incidents that fuel hatred against the Muslims, which international bodies like ODIHR HRHR respond by taking action.

Travel bans against Muslims have been lifted in most countries as global leaders have reduced the negative profiling they have put at immigration offices and in airports (Thompson, 2017). Previously, Muslims that have desired to travel to different countries like the United States have been treated with malice and considered potential threats to the peace and stability of the nation. They have also been denied visa entry despite fulfilling all legal requirements to obtain such a pass.

The above policies have worked by lessening the impact of the discrimination that Muslims have faced. For instance, travel bans have been reduced and Muslims can travel to different parts of the world. Educating the public has also had positive results as people are advised on the proper and fair treatment of all human beings, and the need to give Muslims a chance since only a small number of them engage in terrorist activities (Alsultany, 2013). Muslims are also on the lookout for possible ways they can reduce the negativity they have towards non-Muslims. When both Muslims and non-Muslims take corrective action towards reducing the negativity and hostility between them, there is a high chance of succeeding.

Personal Opinion on Future Policy Directions

In my opinion, some of the future policy directions that can be used to reduce the racism, discrimination, and oppression against the Muslims would be to come up with educational programs that will educate the public on the need to embrace and interact with the rejected and discriminated group. The educational programs should aim at creating awareness of the need to tolerate each other, as well as finding out the root causes of hostility and prejudices against the Muslims (Lum, 2010). Learning institutions should introduce lessons about tolerance and reduction of hatred and prejudice against the Muslims. Additionally, leaders of countries should be at the forefront to allow Muslims to travel to their nations without issuing travel bans. Travel bans against Muslims have made them feel unappreciated and unaccepted as countries assume that the main reason for their request of entry to their nations is to engage in terrorist acts (Cheng, 2015). Muslims engage in business activities and are also concerned about building the nation and partnering with like-minded people that are on the lookout for ways they can generate incomes through legal means.

On the other hand, Muslim leaders have a responsibility of teaching and training their followers that they need to accommodate people from other religions. They also need to find a way to put an end to the belief and practice of Jihadism. Killing innocent people is morally wrong. The Muslims should also avoid using bad and foul language when referring to other religions like consider Christians as kafirs (Thompson, 2017). Religious leaders of the Islam religion should educate their young believers on the need to respect other people's beliefs and practices without developing a negative attitude towards them, on the basis that they are different from them. Consequently, countries of the world should teach their citizens on the ideology of tolerance, which, when fully understood, people will accommodate each other and avoid discriminating the others.

Ways the Social Work Profession Can Advocate for the Needs of Muslims

The social work profession can stand in the gap and advocate for the needs of the Muslims. One of the macro solutions to reduce discrimination against the Muslims is by responding to the needs of all people, irrespective of their cultural or religious beliefs. Most times, social workers have often failed to provide services to Muslims because of Islamophobia (Lum, 2010). The social workers assume that Muslims do not deserve a chance in life if they are struggling with social issues like housing. In addition, admitting Muslims to shelter homes would destabilize the rest of the families living in the shelter, making it hard for people to live comfortably.

A micro solution that may enable the social workers to advocate for equality and fair treatment of the Muslims would be employing people who practice Islam in the profession. Working with Muslims in the social work industry will enable non-Muslims to understand the way of life of the Muslims (Cheng, 2015). Muslims will also feel secure and assured that when they seek social workers' services, they will get the necessary assistance within the shortest time. Localization of the social work activities will increase the number of Muslims assessing the services of social workers. It is important to note that social workers from a Muslim background will have a duty to serve all people in nee...