Transcript Confronting Islamophobia - The Advocates for Human Rights

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH
Confronting Islamophobia:
Promoting Human Rights in Public Policy
KEYNOTE
PROFESSOR JOHN BOWEN
Myths and Realities about
Muslims in the West
Sponsored by:
Muslims in the West
Three ‘reasonable’ claims:
1) Muslim immigrants will not integrate.
2) Sharia is creeping into U.S. law.
3) Islam inspires home-grown terrorists.
Muslims in the West
Three ‘reasonable’ claims:
1) Muslim immigrants will not integrate.
Jobs
Values
Trust
Demography
Muslims in the West
• United States:
2.7 m.
<1%
• Great Britain:
3 m.
<5%
+/- 5 m.
<8%
• France
Muslims in the West
• United States:
Well-being
US Muslims
US Average
Incomes >$100,000
16%
17%
Satisfied with life in US
38%
32%
Poverty “gap” Muslims/Average
2%
Well-being? Muslims/average
Poverty “gap
UK
France
US
22%
18%
2%
The Economist , September 5, 2015
Muslims in the West
Three ‘reasonable’ claims:
1) Muslim immigrants will not integrate.
Jobs
Values
Trust
Demography
"Muslim Americans who subscribe to Islam are just
as bad as ISIS.”
-- John Bennett, US Rep (Oklahoma), Septemmber
14, 2014
One view: Geert Wilders
Urged that the Qur’an be banned, likening it to Mein Kampf
Can US Christians accept Muslims?
45% of 1,000 senior Protestant pastors surveyed
in 2015 say that ISIS
"gives a true indication of what an Islamic
society looks like.“
(Source: LifeWay, a Nashville-based, non-profit Christian research group.)
Confidence in Institutions, Muslims v. General Public, 2009
In your country, do you have confidence in each of the following or not?
How about...?
% who say yes
Military
Courts
Govmt.
French Public
81%
61
45
54
French Muslims
65
52
41
45
British Public
86
55
32
56
British Muslims
52
76
40
62
Banks
Source: Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study of Interfaith Relations, at: http://www.cmes.lu.se/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/the-gallup-coexist-index-2009.pdf.
Challenges and Opportunities
But aren’t Muslim women oppressed?
Women in lower or single House of national parliament (2/2015)
Bolivia 53%
Tunisia 31%
Afghanistan 28%
France 26%
UK 23%
Pakistan 21%
Saudi Arabia 20%
US 19%
Indonesia 17%
(http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm5)
Three ‘reasonable’ claims:
2. Sharia is creeping into U.S. law.
"Florida Democrats just voted to impose Sharia law on women,"
April 30, 2014, WesternJournalism.com,
Muslims in the West
Three ‘reasonable’ claims:
1) Muslim immigrants will not integrate.
2) Sharia is creeping into U.S. law.
3) Islam inspires home-grown terrorists.
Work to do for Muslims
"You have two choices: either hijra (emigration) [to a
Muslim country] or jihad (holy war)," Anwar al-Awlaki.
Work to do for Muslims
“Am I not in a safer place, in the West, than in the
majority of the so-called Islamic countries experiencing
dictatorship?” Tariq Ramadan.
"Muslim Americans who subscribe to Islam are just
as bad as ISIS.”
-- John Bennett, US Rep (Oklahoma), Septemmber
14, 2014
Source: FBI Database
More Americans have been killed in right-wing attacks than
jihadist ones since 9/11
Jihadist: 26
Right-wing: 48
Source: http://securitydata.newamerica.net/extremists/deadlyattacks.html
The Washington Post
October 2015
Motives
• MI5: “a well-established religious identity actually
protects against violent radicalisation”
• Marc Sageman: “more religious education for these
young men might have been helpful.”
Ideas have consequences
Suhail Alkaabi @swedaaan22
Follow
#NotInMyName Since Islam means living in a peaceful
environment between world
8:26 AM - 18 Sep 2014 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates,
View image on Twitter
Athkar @athkaar5_
Follow
We Muslims condemn ISIS's horrible actions. These
terrorist doesn't represent our religion. #NotInMyName
5:49 AM - 19 Sep 2014