Abstract – The following is the dissertation by Shaykh Faheem for his speech requirement on Harvard University’s online program titled, “Rhetoric – The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking”. Students were given the choice to write on any topical matter and Shaykh Faheem seized the opportunity to present his peers the highly propagandized matter of “Islāmophobia” from the perspective of the double standards of western academia in their ostracizing of the historic contributions of Muslims and the choice to bombard the populace regarding only the negative actions of an extremist few, in order to demonize the world of Islām as terrorists walking amidst you.
Islamophobia – The Illogical Fear of Islam and Muslims
By Shaykh Faheem
“Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hate, and hate leads to violence. This is the equation”
(Ibn Rushd)
“I greet you with the universal greeting of peace as promoted by Islam, which is a religion of peace. As a Muslim with fond memories growing up amidst many non-Muslim friends, I find it bizarre that the notion of Islamophobia exists at a time when the world is witnessing the zenith of human accomplishment. Disgruntled by the incogitant views of many, I sometimes wonder as to what form of wizardry has conjured up this convenient yet acute forgettery of the historical record that has veiled the view of the intellectuals of this age? Islamophobia is not new! In fact, in 2011 studies revealed that 52% of Americans and 48% of Canadians felt that the West does not respect Muslim societies.
The media will be held accountable someday, maybe, when people of truth sit on the seat of power, but until then, we must endure this preposterous propaganda that promotes the false philosophy that since many terrorists are Muslims, that all Muslims are terrorists. And so, begins the fear, the phobia of approximately 1,8 billion Muslims, better known today as “Islamophobia”.
Could it perhaps be the prevalence of an ignorant system? Or a system of ignorance prevailing? Or could it be as a corollary of the systematic removal of the contributions of Islam and Muslims over the ages from the minds albeit with a falcon-like focus featuring only events of recent history by isolated individuals who exhibit their brand of radical Islam? We can argue the possibilities, but unless the forgotten contributions are recognized henceforth, Muslims, in general, will continue to be persecuted for the specific wrongs of a few wayward souls instead of being honored for the immense industry of its historic majority.
I hereby remind the world of the wonders which Islam and its adherents have contributed to this amazing age, and that forgettery cannot erase the marks in history made by men of acumen!
I appeal now to your senses, and further to the eyes of your hearts, to see beyond the veils of vilification instituted by evil-doers whose vile discriminatory agenda is nothing new to the pages of history. This Islamophobia industry operates like a well-oiled machine that shows no signs slowing down in fulfilling its demonic objective.
When will the objective minds break free from the manacles of this subjective thought? When will they step up, by stepping in, to quell the false notions perpetuated by this irrational fear with an intellectual defense as opposed to an aggressive offense?
Let us come to our senses now! Where are the scientists? Did they forget that the scientific method which they proudly cite in their circles, was introduced to the world by the famous Muslim scholar Ibn Al-Haytham, Latinized as Alhazen? You see, when you “Latinize” and fail to remind people of the origin of the scholar, they ‘forget’. It was this very Muslim scholar who is widely regarded as the ‘father of optics’ yet many people who wear glasses fail to ‘see’ this.
Let us come to our senses now! So many of us have survived the operating table after being cut by the surgical precision of the scalpel, yet we have no clue that the scalpel originated with a Muslim scholar named Qāsim Al-Zahrāwī? So let us cut-out the shenanigans, the lies, and follow to operate based on the prevalence of truth, and not by these fallacies forged in falsehoods.
Let us come to our senses now!! All students should be asking their teachers about the origins of Algebra? ‘Al-Jab-ra’ that’s Arabic! We remind them that it was a Muslim scholar who developed the subject from his book “Hisāb Al-Jabr Wal Muqābalah” (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), and not only did he bring Algebra to the world, but he is known as the ‘grandfather of computer science’ because of his theories on algorithms, and for this, he was Latinized as “Algorithmi’, but let me illuminate today that his Muslim name was “Al-Khawārizmī”. Without his contribution, we can question whether the existence of computers or the internet would have been possible? We could take it a step further and deduce that there would not be selfies to upload social media, even though many utilize these mechanisms to vilify Islam!
The only way to free the mind from this matrix of madness, this blatantly biased, this illogical intoxicant, this irrational Islamophobia, is to drink from the elixir of untainted education.
Let us come to our senses now! Not by acts of aggression against this preposterous propagation, but by an intellectual injection to immunize all against the ignorance perpetuated by the hateful rhetoric of Islamophobia!
Those who know more, object less!
Those who know less, object more!
Shaykh Faheem
Co-Founder and Head of Da’wah, Media, Publications and Education Departments of the Islāmic Lifestyle Solutions
