Page 8 - Pakistan Link - March 17, 2023

P8 - PAKISTAN LINK - MARCH 17, 2023 OPINION
n By Wendy Díaz Islamophobia: A Historic Timeline achieving expiation of sins.” Thus, the Crusades
Maryland, US were bloody attacks fueled by Christian zealotry,
as well as hatred and fear of Islam and Muslims
hen addressing the topic of Islamo- (aka. Islamophobia).
phobia in the Muslim community, There were eight major Crusades between
W the tendency is to focus on current 1096 and 1291, but the Crusaders were not suc-
events. Some of the manifestations of Islamo- cessful in capturing and keeping the Holy Land.
phobia today are anti-Muslim Further north in what is now Turkiye, Byzantium
legislation in Western countries, continued their battle against Muslims, but rather
rising hate crimes, and smear than Muslim Arabs, they fought against the Mus-
campaigns on mainstream and lim Turks that settled near their lands. The Byz-
social media. antine Empire finally fell in the year 1453, when
These growing trends may the Turkish Ottoman Empire, led by Mehmed II,
give rise to the impression that was able to seize its capital, Constantinople.
an irrational fear of Islam and Muslims is some-
thing unique to the 21st century. However, Is- Islamophobia and the New World
lamophobia is as old as Islam itself. Even Prophet When the Crusaders lost hope of reclaiming
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the former lands of the Christians in the Middle
dealt with his share of Islamophobic attacks as East and the Byzantine Empire fell, there was
soon as he began calling the people of his native outrage in Europe. Political figures feared that
Makkah to Islamic monotheism. the Muslim territories would continue to expand
Arguably, he even predicted that this tribu- Islamophobia is as old as Islam itself. Even Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, dealt with his until all of Europe was engulfed. There was now
lation would affect his followers until the end of share of Islamophobic attacks as soon as he began calling the people of his native Makkah to Islamic monotheism Muslim presence in the Middle East, North Af-
times. Anas ibn Malik reported: rica, the Mediterranean, Western, and Eastern
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and bless- flee Makkah and seek refuge in Abyssinia. When teria for being the messenger of God. Europe. The Ottoman Empire was a force to be
ings be upon him, said: ‘A time of patience will even the Prophet Muhammad’s life, peace and According to the hadith narrated by Abdul- reckoned with and became the most powerful
come to people in which adhering to one’s reli- blessings be upon him, was in danger, migration lah ibn Abbass, may Allah be pleased with him, empire of its time. Islamophobia was ubiquitous,
gion is like grasping a hot coal.’” was no longer an option, it became necessary. from Abu Sufyan, himself, Heraclius said: and these desperate times called for desperate
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi) Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: “If what you have said is true, he will very measures.
Islamophobia is defined in the Oxford “The Prophet would present himself to peo- soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa,
English Dictionary as “an intense dislike or fear ple and he said, ‘Is there a man who can take me knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to Italy, only two years before Mehmed II conquered
of Islam, especially as a political force, as well to his people? Verily, the Quraish have prevented appear but I did not know that he would be from Constantinople. Therefore, he grew up during a
as hostility or prejudice towards Muslims.” The me from preaching the word of my Lord.’” you (from the Arabs), and if I could reach him def- time when Christendom was grieving the loss of
term was first recorded in 1923 in an article in (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) initely, I would go immediately to meet him and if their once-capital city. Historian Alan Mikhail
The Journal of Theological Studies, but its use was Eventually, the believers were able to migrate I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.'” wrote in his book, God’s Shadow: Sultan Selim,
uncommon until the turn of the century.1 While to Madinah and start a new life, but the Islamo- Sometime after the delegation had gone, he his Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the
it was not formalized as an expression until re- phobia did not end there. In fact, negative attitudes gathered his officials and locked the gates of his Modern World, “As both civilizational kin and
cently, the phenomenon was born in the heart towards the emerging community of Muslims con- palace. “Then he came out and said, ‘O Byzan- territorial rival to Christianity, Islam was Christi-
of Arabia. The following is a timeline of Islamo- tinued, with fresh opponents. It was inevitable that tines! If success is your desire and if you seek anity’s most imposing and lethal enemy.”2 It may
phobia starting from as far back as the lifetime of the Muslims would face off with their antagonists. right guidance and want your empire to remain be assumed that the resentment towards Muslims
the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, Battles like the one at Badr and Uhud ensued, fol- then give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet in the Christian world influenced Columbus’ life
peace and blessings be upon him. lowed by the threat of an invasion during the Battle (i.e., embrace Islam).’ (On hearing the views of and his later voyages and conquests. He would
of Khandaq or the Trench. The Quraish gathered a Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the eventually aid King Ferdinand and Queen Isa-
Islamophobia in Makkah huge army of their allies with the intention of de- palace like onagers but found the doors closed. bella of Spain in defeating and expelling Muslims
In a land in which the rule of law consisted stroying the Muslims and halting the message of Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and from the Iberian Peninsula and request their aid
of tribal systems and paganism was widely prac- Islam forever. Al-Bara’ reported: when he lost the hope of their embracing Islam, for his first voyage in 1492.
ticed, the unifying power of Islam was something “I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and he ordered that they should be brought back in Mikhail stated, “In the decades around 1500,
unusual and intimidating. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud blessings be upon him, on the day of the battle audience.’ He reassured them that he was only the Ottomans controlled more territory and ruled
narrated: with the confederates, while he was carrying so testing their loyalty and kept silent regarding over more people than any other world power. It
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and bless- much earth for the trench that his stomach was what he knew.” was the Ottoman monopoly of trade routes with
ings be upon him, said: ‘Verily, Islam began as covered in mud. The Prophet was saying, ‘O Al- (Bukhari) the East, combined with their military prowess
a something strange and it will return to being lah, had You not guided us, we would not have Ibn al-Qayyim said that when Heraclius on land and on sea, that pushed Spain and Portu-
strange, so blessed are the strangers.’” given charity or performed prayer. Send tranquil- heard news of the Negus, the king of Abyssinia, gal out of the Mediterranean, forcing merchants
(Musnad Ahmad) ity upon us and make our stance firm if we en- becoming Muslim, he said: and sailors from these 15th century kingdoms to
When Prophet Muhammad, peace and counter the enemy. Verily, they were the first to “By Allah, were it not for the sake of holding become global explorers as they risked treacher-
blessings be upon him, began preaching, the ma- transgress against us. If they intend persecution, on to my kingdom, I would have done what he ous voyages across oceans and around continents
jority of his tribesmen rejected his message. Al- we have refused.’” has done.” – all to avoid the Ottomans.” He argues that it was
though he was known for his honesty and trust- (Bukhari) (Zaad al-Ma’ad, 3/694) the fear of Islam and Muslims that drove Europe-
worthiness prior to his prophethood, the people The polytheists were unsuccessful, and after Arrogance and fear of Islam and its hypo- ans to the seas in search of trade routes – eventu-
of Makkah considered his message of monothe- some time, the Muslims marched victoriously to thetical threat to their way of life drove the Byz- ally leading to the discovery of the New World.
ism a disturbance to their way of life. They feared conquer Makkah, changing the course of history antine resistance, much like the Islamophobia During the shaping of what is now known as
losing their means of revenue (from housing the forever. The famous companion and scholar, Ibn of today is credited for anti-Muslim policy in the West and the Modern World, there were plen-
gods at the Kaaba), their power, and their prestige Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: majority-Christian or secular nations. The en- ty of manifestations of Islamophobia, beginning
should this new religion flourish. “A man used to be persecuted for his reli- counter between the Quraish and the Byzantine with the Spanish Reconquista (or Reconquest),
At first, their attacks on the Prophet, peace gion, whether they killed him or tortured him, Empire and their rejection of the Prophet’s in- the Inquisition, the repression of Islam amongst
and blessings be upon him, and his followers until the followers of Islam became plentiful and vitation to Islam was a precursor to the Arab– Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade,
were verbal, but little by little, they became physi- there was no longer persecution.” Byzantine wars that took place between the 7th and more. Unfortunately, Islamophobia found its
cal. They spread disparaging propaganda through (Bukhari) and 11th centuries. There was a constant battle way to the continents of North and South Amer-
Arab orators and poets and used intimidation Nevertheless, Islamophobia was always for the dominion of lands north of Arabia, and ica and became ingrained in the psyche of many
tactics to deter new converts. Their attitude was brewing close by. eventually, Muslims conquered the Byzantine- of its inhabitants until this very day.
driven by the same sentiment Islamophobes of controlled Levant, as well as Persia and the
today feel towards Muslims – that somehow Is- Islamophobia in Christendom Coptic-Christian Egypt. Modern Day Islamophobia
lam is a threat to their livelihood or freedom. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings The US Counterterrorism Guide, created
In the Qur’an, Allah mentions the Islamo- be upon him, sent letters to nearby kingdoms, ad- The Crusades under the leadership of the Director of National
phobic incidents and provides comfort for the dressing their respective rulers, and calling them Whenever the mainstream media mentions Intelligence (DNI), published a historic timeline
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be to Islam. One of them was Heraclius, the leader of the Arabic word for struggling, jihad, they define of terrorists attacks affecting the United States
upon him, in the following verse: the Byzantines, who held onto the letter hoping it as “holy war” – violent warfare in the name of and its global allies that began in the 1960’s. Al-
“We know that you, [O Muhammad], are to learn more about this new prophet. When he religion. Typically, Muslims are wrongfully por- though many acts of terror were committed by
saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do heard that a delegation from the Quraish was in trayed as being hostile towards Christians. How- non-Muslim groups worldwide, there were also
not call you untruthful, but it is the verses of Al- his lands, he called them to his court and asked ever, the first religious group to call for a holy rebel guerrilla groups that emerged in countries
lah that the wrongdoers reject.” for the closest relative of the Prophet to step for- war was European Christians against Muslims. like Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, that
(Surah Al-An’am, 6:33) ward. That was Abu Sufyan, who at the time was According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the Cru- were involved in terror operations. Since the ma-
a staunch enemy of Islam. Heraclius pressed him sades were organized to stop Muslim expansion, jority members were Muslim by default (not nec-
Islamophobia in Madinah with different questions regarding the teachings recapture former Christian lands, and claim the essarily by practice), Islam came to be blamed for
Islamophobia in Makkah eventually turned and character of the Prophet, peace and blessings Holy Land for Christianity. The encyclopedia their criminal activity. There was a lack of infor-
violent, with the constant persecution, torture, be upon him, and Abu Sufyan only answered claims that many of the Crusader soldiers “be- mation about Islam as a major world religion, but
and even execution of Muslim converts. The situ- with the truth. Once the interview was finished, lieved that undertaking what they saw as holy an abundance of news headlines and propaganda
ation was so dire, that groups of Muslims opted to Heraclius realized that Muhammad fit all the cri- war was a means of redemption and a way of (Continued on page 23)
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