Anti-Muslim rhetoric, attacks and discrimination is reaching alarming levels in Western countries lately, with statistics coming from Australia, Canada, the U.K, and the European Union of 70% to 80% of all Muslims being discriminated against. The statistics make it highly probable Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslims, will eventually face discrimination at work, the bank, employment, while traveling and in social life.
Like many Muslim women, a Daily Sabah journalist, who wears a headscarf, reported incidents of discrimination and Islamophobia at the airport, on public transport in European countries, as well as verbal harassment on the street in North America.
What makes matters worse are that in many instances, the incidents are swept under the carpet, and perpetrators are not punished to the full extent of the law, as well as media giants failing to act, perpetuate the crisis.
Overt discrimination, and hate crimes such as physical assaults, verbal abuse, or property damage, are easy to tell. The subtle, indirect types of discrimination are harder to recognize. “Were you turned down from your job because of your headscarf, or because you weren't qualified? When people are passed up for promotion time and time again, or not invited to events that everyone else in the class or workplace is invited to, you can reasonably assume it's subtle discrimination,” said Katherine Bullock, a lecturer at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Faiza Mukith, CEO and solicitor from the Islamophobia Response Unit (IRU) in the U.K. said, “Islamophobia's functioning extends beyond this to more covert structural forms. Stereotyping, marginalization, discrimination, and exclusion manifest in ways you may not even be aware of. For example, people can suffer from Islamophobia in the workplace, where they are three times less likely to be called for an interview because they have a Muslim-sounding name.”
And after you are employed, you can still face Islamophobia which is detrimental to your career and mental well-being. “You are being treated unfavorably compared to others, such as other colleagues or class members, based on your religion. You are being required to do something as part of your job or accessing a service that imposes a unique disadvantage on you because of your religion and the employer/service provider doesn’t reasonably accommodate your need to adjust that condition,” said Rita Jabri-Markwell, a discrimination lawyer and adviser at the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN), a peak Muslim body in Australia.
“Workplace discrimination can be direct (e.g. receiving unfavorable treatment specifically because of a protected characteristic) or indirect (e.g. suffering a disadvantage due to a specific policy because they hold a protected characteristic). It can also be present in the forms of harassment or victimization,” explained Mukith.
“Harassment can take the form of bullying at work,” which is “unlawful to bully a person at work because of the religion or belief they hold,” Mukith said.
“Victimization is when you are treated worse than someone else because you have complained or taken legal action about religious discrimination. It is also victimization if you are treated unfairly because you have supported someone else taking action, for example, if you act as a witness in someone else's discrimination case,” Muktih emphasized.
Discrimination can sometimes be subtle, making it difficult to detect. “It is important that employers and employees are vigilant for signs of discrimination in both workplace behavior and practices,” urged Mukith.
Thankfully, many Commonwealth countries – Australia, Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, etc. – have avenues of legal redress. The EU does too but it seems to be harder to access, not encouraged, or is swept under the carpet.
It’s best to speak up early to protect your mental health, urged Jabri-Markwell.
“By politely reminding employers of their obligations under anti-discrimination laws if an issue arises and seeking resolution, it’s best to use your voice early as many people keep quiet for too long, and staying quiet can be psychologically very harmful. Workplace discrimination can be extremely harmful and even lead to long-term trauma if not taken care of early. Speak to the Islamophobia Register Australia if you are not sure,” she advised. She added that if you have any meetings with your employer take notes of when the meeting happens and what is discussed. If unsure, seek support from the Islamophobia Register Australia.
Know your employee rights, the union, and the human resources people and speak up calmly against insults, advised Bullock. “If you are afraid, seek mentorship and advice from someone you trust. Consult a lawyer. Consult the National Council of Canadian Muslims,” she said.
If facing a physical or verbal attack call the police when you are somewhere you feel safe. Also, try to get the details of any witnesses. However, Katherine advised in some cases it may be safer to “run away.”
If it’s the police, bank, or others, get their badge numbers and names. Then initially make an internal complaint with the organization as well as another one with the ombudsman, both at the same time. If these fail, you may need to go to court. In most cases, a court will require you to make an internal complaint before you can begin legal proceedings, so the internal complaint will be useful here. There are banking and other industry ombudsmen in many countries, especially Commonwealth countries.
Seek monetary compensation as this is one of the most powerful legal recourses in incentivizing organizations – government and private – to change their behavior. Try to bring criminal proceedings against perpetrators as some jurisdictions allow for this.
Contact one of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) dealing with Islamophobia (links are throughout this article) that can help you make the complaint, provide guidance, advocate for you as well as provide moral support.
“Stay calm. Note the incident later with the Islamophobia Register Australia,” said Jabri-Markwell.
“There's little to do at the moment. Stay calm. Comply. If needed, file a complaint afterward. If it's safe, you can make a comment about this treatment being wrong. You could ask to talk to a supervisor. But this needs to be done calmly,” said Bullock. The important thing is to comply calmly otherwise they can use this against you with trumped-up charges.
Surgeon and president of the British Hernia Society, Ali Sheen, who was singled out at Manchester Airport made a formal complaint straight after he landed but the airport only responded when he got his local Member of Parliament (MP) involved.
After leaving the airport, seek help from one of the NGOs that deal with this discrimination. You may also need to contact your local MP.
You can submit a complaint with the EU member-states' national human rights institutions but you must file a police complaint and have a police report inside the particular country within six months for the EU to accept this complaint. Then make an application via the link.
Get as much evidence as possible – names, photos of the offender, etc.
“You could start with the National Council of Canadian Muslims; or, try at the local mosque. Muslim or cross-cultural mental health providers are always useful. The Khalil Centre, or a Muslim psychotherapist will help cope after a racist experience. The Institute for Muslim Mental Health has a list of providers,” said Bullock.
“Stopping Islamophobia is a very complex issue. It needs government and social attention. What you can do depends on your skills and comfort. It can be as simple as smiling at people, helping your neighbor, or volunteering at the local school or food bank. Get involved in local politics. You can write letters to the editor, keep a blog, or post on social media. Remember to be calm, use good arguments and nice manners,” advises Bullock.
Mukith said statistics for 2021-2022 show almost half of all religious hate crimes in Britain were targeted against Muslims, showing that “Islamophobia remains a significant problem in society” and urged that this “is why it is important to keep talking about it.”
The public conflation of terrorism and the religion of Islam has been very detrimental and is the singularly most potent driver of Islamophobia, explained Jabri-Markwell. “The government and law enforcement are extremely influential in their speech. It must be used for a productive purpose,” she said, adding that they “are looking to build awareness of this issue among Muslim bodies and communities across those countries.”
Following the Holocaust, anti-Semitism has, more or less, successfully been completely deterred in the West. There could be a lot to learn from the Jewish experience on how this has been achieved. “Anti-Semitism persists. Racism persists. It will always be because human nature is easily corrupted to become nasty. All this anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim, anti-black, etc. is a form of tribalism. So we need to teach and learn how to be accepting of each others' tribes (as the Quran says),” Bullock said.
“Jewish people have achieved a lot of success by founding organizations that lobby the media, politics, and society. They have lots of volunteers who speak out whenever they feel something wrong has been done to their community,” she added.
“Bringing legal actions where necessary to defend rights is vital. That is why AMAN has actions against Twitter and Facebook and also uses national media and parliamentary processes to make the case for law reform,” said Jabri-Markwell.
Bullock added they are also heavily involved in politics and Muslims can replicate what they are doing. But “we” should also “speak out against hate when it is perpetuated by Muslims too.”
It’s tempting to explain away what you are experiencing as something else in the hope that it will just stop because it can be painful to recognize that you are being discriminated against or victimized. However, as the last 25 years have shown, if you do nothing about it, it only becomes worse, and the current trajectory isn’t looking good. And with that 80% statistic, and also anecdotal evidence, everything shows that you will face Islamophobic discrimination at some point, somewhere. There is less chance of not experiencing it. It is more frightening not doing anything about it.
Being a victim of Islamophobia can be embarrassing and distressful and filing a complaint can seem difficult. Lodging a complaint is a powerful way of getting justice and also combatting this scourge. Enforcing your rights through litigation has been one of the most powerful ways of deterring anti-Semitism, which has been very successful.
