What is “Islamophobia” and what does it look like? The terms can be defined as an exaggerated fear, hatred, and hostility toward Islam and Muslims that is perpetuated by negative stereotypes resulting in bias, discrimination, and the marginalization and exclusion of Muslims from social, political, and civic life.
Islamophobes are people who show hate towards people who they think are Muslims. Some have done their research on Muslims and some have not. This hatred is another form of bullying. Muslims must be careful to recognize that it is something a person does and not who they are. This is important to remember when thinking about how to respond to the negativity. There are ways to ensure that response is protective of the rights of the victim and also provides context and content to encourage a change in the behaviour of the offender.
How to Deal with Islamophobes
There are six different ways you can counsel your teen to respond if they are approached by someone who is expressing hatred or anger toward them as a Muslim.
1. Ignore it.
Walk away from them. Don’t react or respond as that back and forth can make matters worse. Allah tells us in the Quran to walk away from arguments. They don’t lead to anything positive and Muslims engage in positivity. If someone threatens you, then report it immediately to a teacher, parent or another trusted adult.
2. Block online haters.
If someone is making negative or hateful comments on your posts or any other post then it’s considered cyberbullying. Block them. Once again, if they threaten you, then take a screenshot of the threat and report it to an adult. You can report the hateful comments and threats on social media so they are handled by the respective platform and blocked by them, too. Here are links to reporting abusive or offensive behaviour on various forms of social media.
- How to report things on Facebook
- How to report a post on Instagram
- How to report abusive behavior on Twitter
- How to report offensive content on Tumblr
- How to report abuse on Snapchat
3. Show kindness and respect.
Yes, even to haters. It is part of our faith as Muslims and instructed by Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to respond to negativity with what is good. It also shows haters you are in control of your emotions and dismantles their opinions about Muslims as aggressive when their own aggression is met by kindness.
4. Have friends close by.
If you are worried about a confrontation with an Islamophobe, try to minimize the time that you are out and about alone. Have friends join you in the hallway or in the cafeteria. Clue them into your fears. When you travel in a small group that makes it less likely for it to occur and you’ll have positive reinforcement if it does happen.
5. Don’t internalize the hatred.
Always remember that comments from haters reflect who they are, not who you are. People who feel good about themselves don’t put others down. People who lash out usually have other life struggles and want to use that as an excuse. This is where kindness usually plays a good role.
6. Talk to someone.
If you are feeling angry, sad or any other emotion, acknowledge it and talk to someone about it. Get support from friends, family members, school counselors, teachers and/or other trusted adults. And keep being you. Keep moving forward.
Faith-based discrimination, hatred, and especially Islamophobia have always been around. There are countless stories from the lives of many prophets throughout time. Learn about them and how they responded and about those outcomes. Remember, too, that Shaitan is working hard to divide us. It is important to understand and fight his tricks.
Nargis Naqvi is the Director of Training for Sound Vision. She is also the founder of MY Voice Canada, a magazine run by and for the youth, and the author of The Perfect Muslim Child. Nargis lives in Ontario with her husband and three children.
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