International Day to Combat Islamophobia

  The OIC Islamophobia Observatory is a specialized Unit, or Center, currently operating under the supervision of Political Affairs Department at the OIC General Secretariat. The Observatory has been functioning for almost 15 years now, started in 2007, precisely since the 34th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Islamabad. Its establishment was driven by 3 (three) main factors: the massive wave of anti-Islam sentiments in the West after 9/11; the growing trend of Islamophobia that seeks to defame and denigrate Islam through distortion and misperception ; and by the introduction of laws in some non-Islamic countries that specifically discriminate, or target Muslim minorities . Altogether, that was an issue of great concern for the Muslim world, hence the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in Makkah in 2005, affirmed the need to counter Islamophobia. Brief, the OIC Islamophobia Observatory was an implementation of Recommendation put-on by...

  Islamophobia is a combination of fear, hate, and prejudice against Islam, against Muslims, as well as against anything associated with the religion, such as Mosques, Islamic centres, Holy Qur’an, Hijab, etc. It also constitutes hatred, stigmatization, racism and discriminations in daily life, on Media, at workplace, in political sphere, etc. It rests in the mind and it reflects in attitudes, and could be manifested through violent actions, such as burning mosques, vandalizing properties, abusing women wearing veil, or insulting Prophet or sacred symbols of Islam. This part of the study elaborates those kinds of manifestation by looking at indicators comprise statements, events, and incidents that happened in different countries during the period under review. Such manifestations are being classified into Discrimination , Islamophobic policy , far right , verbal and physical assault , hate speech and online hate , and defamation of hijab, veil, and burqa. Discrimination is th...