This now requires Muslim activism
ISLAMABAD: With reference to the article “American Muslims’ nightmare comes true” (November 11), it is excruciating to see the rise of anti-Muslim populism as exemplified by Donald Trump. Trump’s victory has been followed by a wave of hate crimes against Muslim minorities. During his first day of post-election, a Muslim student was brutally assaulted by two of his supporters in Louisiana. American hijabi women are being traumatised as their hijabs are being torn off. According to one victim, a woman came up to her and ripped her hijab off, saying, “this is not allowed anymore, so go hang yourself with it.” Trump’s political campaign has normalised Islamophobia and racism. The Republican made his most controversial remarks about Muslims in 2015, when he proclaimed that the government needs to implement a complete ban on Muslims entering the US. As Muslims, most of us are quite confident but things can change pretty fast if an economic downturn happens. According to one report, IS is celebrating Trump’s victory. Surely, Trump’s presidency is a wake-up call as he has brought underlying issues to the forefront. This now requires Muslim activism. We shouldn’t let our shock paralyse us and now, more than ever, it is a duty of Muslims throughout the world to come together and neutralise the effects
of Islamophobia.
Ushma Farooq
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2016.
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