In a shocking incident, a man driving a pickup truck rammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in Canada’s Ontario, in what police describe as “a hate attack”. The recent incident has once again revealed the growing anti-Islamic rhetoric in Europe and other parts of the world.
Canadian police said, “There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim.” Discrimination and violence on the basis of race, religion, and sect continue to bedevil our seemingly modern world.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the killing of Muslim family “a terrorist attack.” Condemning Islamophobia, Trudeau said Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. “This hate is insidious and despicable and it must stop”. The episode brought back painful memories of a Quebec City mosque mass shooting in January 2017 and a driving rampage in Toronto that killed 10 people in April 2018, among others.
The question is why is there a fresh wave of Islamophobia today? The rise of populist extremists in the West and the opportunist nature of politicians, the biased western media and the failure of the Islamic world to come up with a comprehensive strategy to counter Islamophobia at the international level are the contributing factors in this rise of Islamophobia.
Western media has left no stone unturned to malign Muslim population of their country by portraying Muslims as ‘extremists’, and Islam as ‘radical and dogmatic’. As far as Pakistan is concerned, the country has always strived for better relations between cultures and civilizations in the world and it is Pakistan that is constantly pointing out the emerging trend of Islamophobia around the world.
Through the efforts of Pakistan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) reiterated its commitment to counter Islamophobia at the international level. Before it is too late, Muslim leaders, preferably using the OIC platform, must come up with a comprehensive plan to eradicate Islamophobia and hatred for Muslims. Collective efforts are needed to eradicate Islamophobia in the world. There is a need for interfaith harmony, while the West should avoid propaganda against Islam.
