OIC committed to challenge rising Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD, March 16: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had thus far contributed extensively in countering Islamophobia globally, said Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to OIC. He was addressing a webinar titled ‘Threat of Rising Islamophobia’ organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Islamabad here on Wednesday.
Ambassador Sheikh said that while it was true that the threat of Islamophobia had grown in its scope over the past few years, it was important to take note of the evolution that its manifestation had undergone. He added that in the last few years, steps such as banning hijab and challenges affiliated with religious identities were in fact counterproductive and fanned further polarisation. The only solution to such acts lied in intensifying the efforts at multilateral level. The need of the hour demanded the international community to sit together and squarely address the issue by devising normative frameworks in view of the ICCPR resolutions. He added that it was imperative as responsible members of the international community to address this critical issue on a different level instead of manifesting the impacts of Islamophobia on streets in either part of the world. Speaking on the declaration of March 15th as International Day to Combat Islamophobia by the United Nations, Ambassador Sheikh said that it was a laudable decision and that now was the time to make an effort to distinguish Islamophobia from other streams of racism. While responding to a question on how to deal with Islamophobia, Ambassador Sheikh said that the response had to be different in different parts of the world and that at present the theatre of concern when considering Islamophobia was Europe and not the West. Also, in the West, most Muslims were economic migrants which minimised their option to react to such events aggressively. He added that the remedy lied not in confronting but in engagement through continental and regional forums. In India, he said, it was different as it was a matter of state policy. With the Hindutva driven political elite in power, it was more important for the Muslim community to unite against the phenomenon. In that, creation of new forums and platforms was of utmost importance to stand up against the institutionalised movement being pursued under state patronage.
Dr Samina Yasmin, Director and Founder UWA Centre for Muslim States and Societies, Australia, said that it was important to realise that Islamophobia was a generational issue and was not confined to impact a single individual or family. She said that in a larger spectrum, Islamophobia had to be seen as a force that targeted social cohesion, thereby effecting societies and livelihoods globally. While the impacts of the growing menace were boundless, it was women who were predominantly effected due to the rise in Islamophobia she added.
Ms Anam Abbas, Pakistani-Canadian Filmmaker, while commenting on the challenges confronting Muslim women abroad highlighted some of her personal experiences in Canada. She said that for a very long time hijab was seen as a symbol of immigrant community in workplaces. However, Muslim women entering into social, political and economic realms had rendered the Islamophobic narratives premised around hijab and veil as immaterial. She said that the current stream of activism on the issue, that called for a more just and inclusive resistance was reflective of the fact that both veiled and unveiled women across the world had formed a community of their own and that their identity was not confined to a piece of fabric. -PR