The terror attack on mosques in New Zealand has lent new urgency to educating the public about those questions, say Islamic leaders. It’s not OK to be silent, they stress. But it’s also not a great idea to angrily take the bait.
“We recommend people make a statement that is not aggressive and doesn’t address the topic at hand,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “If you’re online, you can share a powerful quote from a global leader, a statement of peace. Or an appropriate emoji.”
In personal interactions, don’t engage the aggressor, he said, but rather support the person being attacked. Once one person has spoken up, others often will follow.
These are among the suggestions offered as the world reels from the latest violent attack on Muslims. Friday’s attack by a white nationalist at two mosques in Christchurch, which killed at least 49 people, is an extreme example of growing anti-Muslim sentiment sweeping the Western world, said Muslim leaders, and people with a moral compass need to make their voices heard.
Exactly how to do that is the issue.
Angry verbal sparring doesn’t change anyone’s mind, so it may be one of the least effective ways to combat hate speech, they said. Likewise, arguing your facts against their alleged facts rarely leads to illumination, because they simply don’t believe them.
“You have a certain segment of society that actually believes Muslims are trying to enact sharia law in the United States,” said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the national CAIR organization.
CAIR offers a Challenging Islamophobia Pocket Guide with advice on how to document, report and respond to anti-Muslim statements in the media, workplaces, schools and community. It can be downloaded and tucked in a wallet.
Perhaps the best tool for combating Islamophobia is getting non-Muslims to engage with Muslims, ideally face to face, said Muslim leaders. Americans who have Muslim friends and acquaintances are less likely to spout hate speech than others.
Mosques should continue their outreach into neighborhoods, inviting people in, anti-discrimination experts said. And churches need to help demystify Muslims to their congregations, they said. Civic institutions such as schools and universities also must build more opportunities for Muslims to interact with their non-Muslim neighbors.