During a webinar held in London on Saturday, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and a member of the Imams Council of Michigan, stated that research indicates an unprecedented increase in Islamophobic crimes in the West following October 7 (Operation Al-Aqsa Storm).
He highlighted that the rate of Islamophobic crimes in Michigan is higher than the national average, attributing this trend to the widespread hatred directed at Palestinians by politicians and the media.
Additionally, Sandew Hira, an independent scholar and activist, described Islamophobia as a reflection of the West's fear of the spread of Islamic civilization as an alternative narrative.
He added, "The suppression of Muslim voices is more of a civilizational issue than a political one; it aims to prevent the development of ideas rooted in the Global South."
Meanwhile, Anne Norton, a professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, also expressed concern about the rise in Islamophobic crimes in the West, remarking, "Not long ago, three pro-Palestinian students were attacked for wearing keffiyehs at the university, and a child was murdered in Chicago for the same reason."
Throughout the webinar, the speakers discussed the various restrictions imposed on Muslims and their presence in the public sphere. They also explored strategies for achieving Muslim civil rights and freedoms in societies that claim to respect the principles of liberal democracy.
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