As Haj gets under way in Saudi Arabia, I found myself wondering how my experience of being a Muslim in Europe has changed over the last few years.
For a start I find there is much greater awareness of Islam. Whether it is Haj or Ramadan, fasting or praying five times a day facing Makkah, there is now a general awareness of the fundamentals of Islam. Whereas in my undergraduate days in London I was often greeted by either hostility or sarcasm when I announced I did not drink, today’s students are more tolerant, respectful and knowledgeable of other faiths. The same trend is true with the population at large, up to a point.
I have also noted a change in how people respond to my name. Whereas once upon a time presenting myself as “Iman” was greeted with baffled looks and questions to confirm that I was indeed a foreigner, the most common reaction nowadays is to compliment me on having such a beautiful name. I have even met two women this year who told me they wanted to name their daughters Iman. One was a Norwegian writer, the other a French post woman.
And yet, on the whole, it is clear that anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise. This can be seen in opinion surveys, for instance the latest Pew Global Attitudes report which found that both anti-Semitism and negative opinions toward Muslims were on the rise in Europe, with unfavorable opinions toward Muslims becoming more pronounced that those toward Jews.
It is certainly a common perception among Muslims living in Europe. We do feel increasingly on the defensive, increasingly worried that we may be discriminated against, attacked or insulted because of our faith. I notice it the most whenever I have to deal with authorities. When clearing airport security, when renewing or applying for new documents, when passing through a police checkpoint or customs, in all these instances I tense up a little, a shadow of worry comes over me, even though I have nothing to worry about. And the question is, if I feel this way, how must young Muslim men feel? For I am a woman over thirty. I also do not wear the hijab. Unless you ask you or me see my passport, you won’t necessarily know I am Arab or Muslim just by looking at me.
The latest terrorist atrocity in Mumbai has highlighted yet again the hijacking of the name of Islam by a group of ignorant cold-blooded murderers who have the gall of shouting Allahu Akbar as they take innocent lives. It makes me want to scream, “I am a Muslim but I am not a terrorist”. This sentence should be unnecessary but the reality is that since the events of Sept. 11, 2001 catapulted Al-Qaeda to the forefront of Western consciousness it has come into existence. I do not wear it on a T-shirt, nor do I verbalize it, but it is there, a constant presence in my life.
I concede that most people do not generalize. They understand that terrorists are a minority, but that does not erase the trace of doubt and suspicion. This is all too clear in Britain where the profiles of recently convicted terrorists have been those of Muslims born in Britain who did not, on the face of it, look like fanatics who could blow themselves up in the middle of a crowd. That’s the thing about these terrorists. They look like you and me. The only common denominator is that they are Muslim.
Even if we are not labeled terrorists, there is a whole list of traits that have come to be associated with Islam. There is a perception that Muslims are intolerant, easily offended, prone to overreactions, insular and yes, violent. The roots of this perception can be easily traced, whether it is the terrorists in Mumbai, the pirates in Somalia, the death threats issued against cartoonists, the burning of effigies or quite simply the existence of cheering crowds on some Internet forums when terrorist atrocities are committed.
What has also been much commented on is the lack of positive Muslim role models. We rarely see Muslims making the news or starring in films unless they are terrorists. Really? In France last year, who was voted the most popular Frenchman? Answer: Zinedine Zidane. What I find interesting is that European-born Muslims who make it to the top of the popularity ladder are automatically attached the label ‘non-practicing” Muslim. Or put another way, they are seen as Muslims who have shed the ways of their parents and adopted a European way of life.
On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the legality of a French school expelling two students in 1999 because they refused to remove their hijab for a sports lesson. The girls had petitioned the court on the grounds that Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights asserted them the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and that this included the right to manifest their religion. In their ruling the judges state that Article 9 of the convention was not violated as the girls were expelled not because of their faith but because they did not abide by the rules and regulations of the school. In other words, they were not expelled for who they were — Muslim girls — but for how they behaved — Muslim girls who refused to adopt Western dress.
Perhaps what we are seeing is an increasing belief that Muslims are welcome to live in Europe so long as they abide by the rules and that the rules go further than simply being law-abiding citizens but encompass being fully paid up members of civilized modern European society. To my mind civilized modern European society is not incompatible with being a civilized modern Muslim, but clearly there are many who do think the two are incompatible, and they come from both sides of the fence.
