The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Beware the hype about a backlash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Beware the hype about a backlash

Hasan Suroor

ANYONE WATCHING some of the Indian television channels might be led into believing that a full-blown anti-Muslim backlash is brewing in Britain after last week's train bombings. The truth is that barring a few stray incidents of intimidation and stone-throwing the situation has remained unexpectedly calm.

Despite real and widespread fear, nothing that would even remotely fit the description of an organised "backlash" has happened nearly a week after the July 7 carnage. Much worse incidents of "Paki-bashing" and racism have taken place in more normal times than those reported after the bombings.

This is not to ignore these incidents or deny that a climate of fear exists. Worshippers at a north London mosque were reportedly abused by passers-by as news of the blasts spread, and the Muslim Council of Britain reported receiving some 30,000 abusive and threatening email within hours of the explosions. There have also been reports of incidents at mosques outside London, and a mysterious fire broke out at gurdwara in Kent after apparently being mistaken for a place of Muslim worship.

But given the level of Islamophobia in Britain at the best of times, this is minor stuff — isolated acts of individual fanatics. Condemnable though they are, hyping them is likely to fuel passions among Muslim hotheads outside Britain who do not know the facts, and create panic among families and friends of British Muslims in other countries.

This is already happening. A number of Muslims have said that their relatives in India got extremely concerned after seeing media reports of an alleged anti-Muslim backlash.

"They were surprised when I told them that no such thing was happening that Muslims were quite safe," one Muslim academic said.

It is easy to see why some of the reporting in the Indian media, particularly on television, has tended to be alarmist. It has "modern journalism" written all over it — young reporters parachuted into situations of which they have little background. The temptation to dramatise in such situations is strong — not with the intention to mislead but to catch the headlines, and to be seen to justify the expenses and confidence placed in them by their bosses.

Coming back to the "backlash," as someone who witnessed the virulent anti-Muslim mood in Britain after 9/11, I find the post-7/7 climate surprisingly less hostile. Despite finger-pointing and a lingering suspicion of Muslims, there is not the sort of pressure they faced in the wake of 9/11. In a large measure, this is because Britain's Muslim community has learnt a few lessons in the past four years.

And the biggest lesson it has learnt is that it must come out openly and clearly against extremists acting in the name of Islam. It has realised that simply saying that Islam does not permit violence would not do; and no amount of condemnation of terrorists would sound convincing if it is always accompanied by airing of Muslim grievances, which many interpret as a qualified condemnation.

It is significant how quickly and sharply Muslim "leaders" and ordinary Muslims reacted to the July 7 attacks. Within hours, they were on television looking angry, and sounding angry at what had happened. Statements from Muslim organisations started pouring into newspaper offices offering help in tracking down those behind the bombings.

Refreshingly, there was no reference to any Muslim-related issue in any of the reactions and the revulsion seemed genuinely felt and expressed.

As The Guardian noted even in places like Luton, regarded as a hotbed of Islamic extremism, the anger was palpable — and denunciation unambiguous.

In a sign of how much the mood has changed, activists of the radical Hizb-ut-Tahrir group were seen handing out leaflets outside a mosque declaring that Islam did "not allow the harming of innocent civilians." This from an organisation that in the past has hailed terrorist attacks.

Not only have leading Muslim scholars and religious figures made common cause with other faith communities in denouncing terrorists, there is even talk of issuing a fatwa against those who kill in the name of Islam.

The fact that a number Muslims have also been killed or injured in the attacks has created an overwhelming sense of unity with victims of other faiths.

Public face of the tragedy

Indeed, a young British Asian Muslim girl has become the public face of the July 7 tragedy — a symbol of how it has affected every community.

The family of 20-year-old Shahara Akhter Islam, who is feared dead, is quoted as saying that she has been killed "in the name of the religion that she loved."

This is how The Independent profiled her in a front-page splash:

"Shahara Akhter Islam was a devout Muslim with all her life before her ... And now this young woman, who so confidently straddled the twin cultures of her mosque and her city is ... feared dead, a victim of the horrific violence wreaked on London this week, almost certainly by terrorists of Al-Qaeda, murdering and maiming in the name of her faith."

Barring the usual suspects on the Right, the British media has acted with great restraint this time and, more importantly, highlighted the apparent change in the Muslim attitude — the community's willingness to stand up and be counted against fellow Muslims abusing Islam. This makes some of the breathless reporting in the foreign media even more jarring.

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