'Islamophobia in Europe is deep-seated'

'Islamophobia in Europe is deep-seated'

Via Teheran Times:

Islamophobia in the United States is shallow and temporary while Islamophobia in Europe is deep-seated because of Europeans’ long history of warfare with the Muslim World, Dr. Muqtedar Khan says.

Muqtedar, an associate professor at the University of Delaware who teaches Arab and Middle Eastern politics, politics of development, globalization, and Islam in world affairs, made the remarks in an email interview with the Tehran Times on Sunday.



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Q: You have spoken about the rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe and the United States. Could you explain the reasons behind this phenomenon and how Muslim communities in the EU and the USA should deal with it?

A: The reasons are separate in the EU and the U.S. because of several reasons. I think the European Islamophobia is deep-seated because of the long history of warfare with Muslims and because Islam is seen as genuinely transforming the identities (which have been stable for centuries) of European nation states. Danes have been white and Christian for ages. Now they are also becoming dark and Muslim and very rapidly.

I am confident that Islamophobia in the U.S. is shallow and temporary. Notice for example that the biggest supporters of the mosque project in New York (other than Muslims) were American Jews, and look how nearly everyone who mattered in the U.S. condemned the (call for) Quran burning. There are strong pockets of Islamophobia in the U.S., but I am confident that American Muslims and their allies in mainstream America can overcome the poison they spew.

Muslims in the West must engage with the mainstream society, participate in philanthropy, social service, and politics. When critical, they should be fair… They should distance themselves from the hateful messages that come from the Muslim World, respect pluralism, and Islamophobia will erode.

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