No political will in West to address Islamophobia: Activist

Press TV has interviewed Massoud Shadjareh, with the Islamic Human Rights Commission from London, about the rising wave of hatred against the Muslim community in the United States and the government’s response to the phenomenon.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Give us your perspective on these peaceful rallies that were taking place in Islamberg against the harassment of American Muslims.

Shadjareh: Unfortunately we’re seeing yet again this sort of harassment being unleashed and the promotion of hate, which leads to hate crime, being unleashed against innocent Muslim community in United States and elsewhere. And it’s left to them to try to defend themselves rather than the reality of what should happen, it is the government and the whole society [that] should rise up against these thugs who are promoting hatred. And unfortunately things are not getting better and they’re getting worse.

Press TV: What are the remedies to the spreading of Islamophobia and this culture of hatred that is being seen on a day to day basis, spreading on a day-to-day basis in America?

Shadjareh: Our reports in the United States, which was done in California, which it is one of the most liberal states in the United States, a staggering sort of 15 percent of the Muslims in that state were victims of physical attack. This promotion of hatred and creation of environment of hate, it’s something that needs to be stopped and when we look carefully who is actually instigating this, who’s promoting that, we’ll see that politicians, media and indeed legislation and blaming the Muslim community for acts of terrorism abroad and so forth and so on, it actually creates the environment where this hatred is becoming epidemic.

And the reality is that it affects everyone and if you are in that environment you actually become affected by that environment. And then we see hate crime and even physical abuses taking place against ordinary innocent Muslims. We’ve got another report, which is currently being written up, and it’s for the United States on the issue of hate crime. And unfortunately we are seeing this escalating and the reason is there is no political will to address this issue. And we need to force that on the politicians. And indeed media needs to take its own responsibility for promoting this hatred.

Press TV: So, you believe that it’s the political/media establishment that’s the most responsible for promoting this culture of violence.

Shadjareh: Absolutely and…unfortunately we are hearing every day and every week and every month sort of a very negative aspect and negativity being associated to Muslims. And this is creating the environment of hate. And the politicians who supposed to be addressing these sorts of issues are failing to do so. And the media is actually following sensationalism and sort of not taking responsible position. And unfortunately it’s getting worse. And the burden is being put on the ordinary innocent Muslims to actually try to defend themselves go to these peaceful demonstrations and so forth, which really is not enough to remedy this wave of violence which is being institutionalized now.

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