Fear of the Muslims grips the West

2005/101/10

Until recently, our world was almost a peaceful and near hassle-free place. Some people, though, looked down upon other people due to the color of their skin or culture, but they hardly threatened their lives on account of their religious beliefs or creed. Apartheid practiced by the white supremacists of South Africa received worldwide condemnation, but neither the blacks nor their sympathizers had ever threatened the life of a European white man or woman on the streets of Pakistan , India or Saudi Arabia .

Until recently, movement of people from one country to another was almost trouble-free. You traveled to many parts of the world without visas. Where visas were required, you applied to the Embassies of the countries you wanted to visit and behold! You got your visas with a minimum of inconvenience and formalities. You boarded your flights, in most cases, without your body being searched. The Custom officials of your own country checked your luggage to ensure that you were not transporting contraband or illegal items to your foreign destination.

Upon arrival at the airport of your destination, you faced almost no questioning from the Immigration Officers. Custom Officials waved you out of the custom hall, if they thought you were not carrying any prohibited goods with you.

You walked on the streets of foreign countries without looking over your shoulders, as you did not have the fear of being stalked by someone for you being a Muslim, Hindu or a Christian. You spoke your minds freely, and in most cases, your Muslim background hardly prejudiced your listeners’ receptivity of, and the judgment on, what you said.

But all the good things of the past changed almost overnight. You are not anymore what you look like. You do not get visas for the countries you want to visit on business or pleasure with the ease of the past. Before you board your flight, you are required to go through strenuous security checks, often having to walk with your barefoot to assure the security inspectors that your shoes are not loaded with bombs.

At the airport of your destination, you are subjected to all sorts of stiff questioning by the Immigration officers; they do this in order to make sure that they are not letting in a terrorist who might kill their people and blow up their buildings. To them, you are a suspect, if you happened to have a name that they know is a Muslim name. And this notion has developed in them after the events of September 11, 2001.

Following the events of that fateful day, our world is not what it used to be just a few years ago. Most, if not all, non-Muslims have come to realize that they cannot trust the Muslims with the safety of their lives and property. They know that all the Muslims are not bad or dangerous, yet they feel insecure in their midst not knowing who among them may turn out to be their murderer.

Though many of us are not willing to admit, but the fact is that that most of the people of the West have been badly affected by the fear of the Muslims. They do not trust them. And they have many reasons for not trusting them anymore.

The loss of trust in the Muslims has forced the Westerners to adopt, in their own countries, such measures as they feel are necessary to preempt their wrath. This they have begun doing after realizing that an agitated Muslim can become more ferocious than a hungry hyena of Serengeti.

The extent of fear that grips the West can be deduced from some of the actions its people have taken in the recent past in order to protect them and their property from the violent actions of the Muslims. Citation of three examples should suffice here:

A British Museum removed a statue from its exhibition hall, as it was likely to hurt the religious sentiments of its Muslim visitors;
Sony Film backtracked on releasing Comedian Albert Brooks’ film, as it has the word “Muslim” in the title;
A Fast Food chain pulled down its sign, as the picture of one of its food items read like the word “Allah” written in Arabic.

I have never supported violence against violence in the past, nor am I going to do it in future. I believe in generosity and kindness to all and aggression against none. I believe that Muslims have all the rights to exist on earth, as do all the people of other faiths. I also believe that Muslims deserve all respects from the people of their host countries, provided they are willing to live therein in accordance with their rules, laws and regulations. Similarly, non-Muslims should also receive all respects from the Muslims, if they live in their countries without violating their civic and constitutional laws made by the humans.

But is the gesture and respect extended by the people of non-Muslim countries to the Muslims being reciprocated by them? Are the Muslims as generous and kind to the non-Muslims, as the latter are to them?

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