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The manipulative skills of politicians, leaders and the media have always allowed them to attain their goals by distorting reality. Fear, being an innate characteristic of man, can often be deliberately induced in an individual as well as an entire nation, to achieve political objectives. Moreover, the inbuilt fear of the unknown makes it easier for politicians to divide humanity around racial, ethnic and religious lines. With the help of the media, the fear of the unknown is not only triggered but is also emphasized and amplified, so as to generate feelings of hatred and hostility. The need to overcome fear, initiates the need to consider their own race being superior to the other, who are sometimes viewed as ‘intruders’ and ‘aliens’, while as ‘inferior’.
The rising problems of unemployment, corruption and the atrociously widening gap between the rich and the poor are the dreadful results of capitalist societies which indicate that the concept of egalitarian society will forever remain a myth. The flaws erupting from the deep-seated inequalities of capitalist societies need to be obscured from the eyes of the nation, for fear of dissatisfaction and protest by the public. Hence, be it ethnic minorities or even religious groups that outnumber some of the major sects, these immigrants are not fully integrated into the society, instead they are largely blamed for economic problems stemming from the flawed structure of capitalist societies. By presenting the Black workers as a threat to the white working class, employers not only reduce the potential unity amongst them but also minimize the bargaining power of the Blacks. This in turn, fueled the conflict and ensured that the clashes continue. Racial and ethnic targeting by the state, led to the shifting patterns of acts of racial hatred, vilification and discrimination by the public. Over the years, the frequency and intensity of racism was diluting. The malicious and direct racism, camouflaged itself through the subtle and indirect process of institutional racism, yet remained pervasive. But the relatively fading concept of overt racism spawned the rise of Islamophobia. This was mainly because the public became increasingly aware that the concept of racism, served as a smokescreen, behind which the errors of capitalist society and the shortcomings of politicians were concealed. The term Islamophobia as an English-language neologism is a relatively new invention, although traces of several basic facts can be found even in European culture.
A major reason for the apparent hostility towards Muslims lies in its growing popularity around the globe, which is directly proportional to the threat posed to the west. Jews and Christian scholars have never missed any opportunity to present distorted images of Islam in a highly authentic and convincing manner. The repetitive association of Islamic activities with certain words leads to the information being ideologically loaded with connotative codes, i.e. phrases, which evoke particular attitudes and emotions. The western media has mastered the art of controlling the attitudes of their audience, while satisfying them with the false belief of freedom of media access and interpretation. For example, Islamic fundamentalist movements have almost always been smeared with derogatory remarks such as ‘fanatical’ or ‘extremist’. This in turn limits the perspective of the passive recipients of the media and deprives them of the ability to decode this process as way of reviving and rejuvenating the original essence of a religion.
The role and strength of media is evident in the way public has started making generalized statements, linking Islam with terrorism. The accentuating ‘culture of exclusion’, feeds on the rising conflict between Muslims and non-Muslim communities and has led to the creation of intellectual spaces in many universities where distorted images of Islam are presented and tolerated.
Former Europe minister, Denis MacShane, conveniently recommended Muslims to either adopt the ‘British way’ or lead a life similar to the ways of ‘terrorists’, a term which is now indeed, unfortunately synonymous, with Islamic beliefs. His exact words were, “It is the democratic, rule-of-law, if you like the British, American or Turkish way, based on political dialogue and non-violent protest. Or it is the way of the terrorist against which the whole democratic world is uniting.” This highly provocative statement aims at achieving deeper targets. It divides and antagonizes Muslim community and instills an, ‘us versus them’ feeling between non-Muslims and Muslims. Moreover, the protests of the Muslims are again shown in a negative light.
One of the major problems in governing multicultural societies like UK and U.S. lies in knitting the political views of the entire society, in such a way as to complement the government’s views. Instead of coming up with different ideas to gain the support of different ethnic minorities, they choose the easier way out, by presenting Muslims as a general threat to the rest of the world. The induced fear not only serves to unite the entire world against one religious group but also legitimizes the government’s interference in other Muslim countries. The tragic date of 9/11 served as a tool to carve the process of the New World Order. Afghanistan offered the needed requirements by allowing an oil pipeline to pass through it, whereas Iraq contributed by being the fountainhead of liquid gold. The violence done in the name of attaining peace by them is ignored; instead they emerge as heroes and saviors. Later, Colin Powell brushed aside the repetitive issue of weapons of mass destruction by simply admitting that they received wrong information.
Several reports reveal that after 9/11 British and American Muslims were largely marginalized and made to feel like outsiders in their own countries. Recommending documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore would be a vain attempt, as many people strongly view Muslims as terrorists and no matter how convincing the documentary may be they would avoid watching anything that would contradict their existing belief. Moreover, audiences tend to decode polysemic media messages according to their own media literacy that will help reinforce their preconceived perceptions, rather than challenge their deep-seated attitudes and prejudices. These factors make it even more difficult for journalists, directors etc. to highlight the lies that are being projected to the audience as disturbing realities. The increasing aggression and hostility worsen the condition of the disaffected underclass of young Muslims, who are identified as ‘time-bombs’, because of the precarious balance on which their explosion of violence depends. One of the biggest concerns of the Muslims all over the world is, media labeling of Muslims as terrorists which might end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. 
Kinzah Mujeeb is a social and political researcher for Geo Group, where she explores global trends and practices of racial violence and exploitation
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