It’s too easy today not to blink at an act of Islamic fundamentalism. Terrorism is so much a part of life in the 21st Century that only something truly shocking, like the murder of Lee Rigby actually takes us aback. The sheer brutality and senselessness of Rigby’s murder by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale has sent shockwaves through the country, and yesterday Rigby’s family could finally claim justice had been done as both were sentenced.
Rigby’s death shouldn’t become just another fan for Islamaphobia though. Predictably the media were keen to focus upon the brutality of the assault and the perpetrators claims to be, “soldiers of Allah,” and their ties to a radical Islamic fundamentalist group. Footage procured by the tabloids showed Michael Adebolajo complete with the bloody meat cleaver used to kill Lee Rigby and the moment, captured on CCTV that they ran him down in their car. There was altogether too little mention of the widespread condemnation from the wider Muslim community and the fanatical minority from which the killers were drawn. Moreover there was little reference to the randomness of the attack.
The murder may well, as the Home Secretary commented have, “united the entire nation in condemnation,” but it’s unity in definition against the perceived threat of Islam. The key words in the reports should have been radicals, extremists and also the fact that they constitute the tiniest of minorities within Islamic discourse. Instead the reference is all upon the fact that they were Muslim converts and have murdered a British soldier in broad daylight on the streets of the United Kingdom. That throws up a whole world of unsavoury connotations which only strengthens the growing strain of opinion in the West that views Islam as a whole as a threat.
There was much focus on one of the killers having a copy of a Quran at his side for the entire duration of the trial. This was not an attack motivated or inspired by Allah. It was a senseless attack by young men heavily influenced by radical preaching that has taken the words of a sacred text and bent them for its own means. There actions are in no way representative of the majority opinion of Muslims within Britain and will have provoked as much outrage and shock amongst those communities, if not more than the rest of Britain.
The prosecutor at their trial may have got it right in stating that their purpose was “carnage,” and that “Islam…is not on trial,” but the declaration of the latter statement and then immediate demonstration of the pictures of the blood stained knives and the footage of Rigby being run-down by the men. Skewing coverage of the murder that way, and also giving so much attention for the murderers is exactly what the fundamentalists want the media to do. The focus should have been on the senselessness of Rigby’s murder and upon the life that was lost that day, not the motives of his murderers and whatever religious leanings and motivations they profess to have.
Every time an act of terrorism is linked to Islamic teachings it only strengthens the growing consciousness of ‘us’ and ‘them’ when the solution to the problem is not ostracizing Muslims but integrating them. Collaboration is the only way to combat the fundamentalism of our time, and it involves helping the Muslim community re-integrate the radical elements in whatever way it can. So highly publicizing the nature of Lee Rigby’s death only offers the fundamentalist groups a high profile example to use to radicalize new members and reinforce their supposed religious purpose.
People don’t use the Lee Rigby killing as an excuse to be Islamaphobic.
Islamaphobia has developed because of Islam’s differences to western culture. Stuff like wearing a veil is perceived as antisocial in western countries, for example, while in Islamic countries it is the norm.
There have been several stories recently about Muslims attempting to sue shops because they did not sell them halal meat. There are many, including myself, that think halal is abhorrent because it causes excessive pain to the animals when killing them. Another issue in which we could argue for days.
Islam treats its women like second class citizens. They even have different laws for women in Islamic countries. You don’t see men getting stoned for committing adultery. And being homosexual is punishable by death. Something that westerners conveniently ignore.
While the Rigby killing was a very unusual act from muslims, it does indicate wider issues. The Quran says all non-muslims should be treated as infidels. The killers were arguably just following the word of their God. This is not indicative of a conspiracy by Muslims to overthrow the UK obviously, but it does show a massive cultural divide.
Islam is not like other religions. It is not targeted because it is fashionable to criticise it. It is targeted because of its teachings and its medieval response to modern ways of life which we take for granted. Islam has repeatedly suppressed freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. Remember the riots over those Danish cartoons? Remember the riots in response to that Mohammed film? That wasn’t a minority.
Criticising Islam does not equal racism. If you like living in a liberal country that treats its citizens equally, no matter what gender or sexuality they are, then you simply have to criticise it.
I think this article is very well written, and does show, quite rightly, that some people are using this murder as an excuse to be islamophobic.
I’m largely sceptical of Brian’s point, because I think that actually Christianity and Islam are that different. Both, at least both extremists, are homophobic, misogynistic, violent, racist. Both also have elements that are not.
Also, the Qur’an is not an easy book to interpret, much like the Bible. There are passages that can be read as militant. They can also be read in other ways.
I agree, we should criticise certain elements of Islam. But sweeping statements about all factions of Islam as one don’t help, and are frankly rather ignorant.
Can I just say, George, that I am in no way defending Christianity in my point either. Christianity has a long history of being backward and bigoted too.
But right now, Islam is the religion which courts the most controversy because fundamentalist Islam is practiced by many people. Not necessarily in the UK but in the wider world.