Seeking ways to counter discrimination against Muslims in the media

As a result, many Muslim communities in Europe and North America now find themselves in an increasingly hostile environment.

"Islamophobia, whether in the shape of intolerance and discrimination, or whether in the form of violence, is a violation of human rights and a threat to social and political cohesion," says Ambassador Ömür Orhun, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims.

As part of the OSCE's continuous efforts to combat all forms of discrimination, Ambassador Orhun and the Organization's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) jointly hosted a roundtable for Muslim representatives in Warsaw on 9 May.

The meeting, the second such event organized by the OSCE, focused on the representation of Muslims in public discourse, and discussed ways to tackle such negative and stereotypical portrayals.

Different places, different problems

"After the London bombings, accusations of 'self-segregation' were levelled at Muslim communities," says Dr Tahir Abbas of the Centre for Study of Ethnicity and Culture at the University of Birmingham.

"But with the socio-economic disadvantages that many Muslims in Britain face, lack of participation and integration might almost be red herrings."

Muslim communities within individual countries - let alone across the entire OSCE region - are far from homogeneous. In some areas of the United Kingdom, for instance, Muslim communities with roots in the Indian sub-continent have been established for several generations, but there are also many Muslim communities of recent immigrants from elsewhere. The form of discrimination faced by different Muslim groups can therefore vary greatly.

"The more recently-established Somali communities living in Britain often face the triple discrimination of racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia," says Abbas.

Given the diversity of the problems facing Muslim communities in the OSCE region, finding ways forward is no easy task.

"The US interaction with the East and with Islam is very different from that of Europe, and so our 'phobia' is different. In the US it is much easier to express support for Islam and for Muslims than in Europe," explains Dr James Zogby, President of the Washington-based Arab American Institute.

"However, it is much harder to have an open debate about the Arab-Israeli conflict - support for anything other than the status quo brands you as an extremist."

Tackling negative stereotyping

Islam, which is often mentioned in the same breath as terrorism, is increasingly being identified in the media, politics, and even within academic discourse as an intrinsically violent religion. "The problem isn't just ignorance, but what passes for knowledge," adds Zogby.

This is not just a post-11 September phenomenon. A survey of newspapers carried out by the Muslim Council of Britain in March 1999 showed that coverage of Islam and Muslims was so overwhelmingly negative that even the papers' editors did not initially believe the findings were based on their own publications.

"We are seeing Islamophobia even in the so-called liberal press," comments Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid, Chairman of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony in the UK.

To help identify and combat such trends, participants at the OSCE roundtable agreed on the need for co-ordinated media monitoring across organizations and between countries, to provide a comprehensive overview.

Working with the media

At the same time, working with the media to train journalists and editors to recognize Islamophobia can encourage changes in the tone of reporting. Similar projects which have already been carried out successfully for other discriminated-against groups such as Roma could serve as useful models.

Another proposal put forward at the meeting was for Muslim organizations to develop their own media strategies to increase the representation of mainstream Muslim opinion, as well as to empower communities to draw attention to areas where they suffer discrimination.

Nuzhat Jafri of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women explained how her organization used the media to change the Arbitration Act in Ontario - which allowed religious laws to be applied in settling family disputes - to ensure that Muslim women would enjoy the same rights as other women.

"We developed an information kit that explained the issue and our stance on it. We know this had an impact because we saw the same language that we used reproduced in the press," says Jafri, whose organization has also produced a handbook to help Muslims deal with the media.

Improving co-ordination

The meeting also highlighted the need for better co-ordination between Muslim organizations to build up a picture of the entire region, to develop a common agenda, and to share strategies. Participants also discussed the need for coalition-building with other groups, and particularly to learn from the experience of Jewish communities in Europe and African-Americans in the US.

Jo-Anne Bishop, Senior Advisor of the ODIHR's Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Programme, points out that the Office has a great deal of experience in network building and encouraging the exchange of good practices.

"This is an area where we are very keen to help our Muslim partners. We are also working on a database of tolerance-related resources, which will enable the exchange of practical initiatives not only between Muslim organizations, but between numerous organizations with experience in combating other forms of discrimination," she says.