It reads like a plot from a Denzel Washington action film; an Islamic extremist group plan to execute western civilians in a busy city square, while the Federal police battle the clock to protect the nation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
But it wasn’t a blockbuster film.
Yesterday the media flung Australia into a frenzied fear with its reporting on the counter-terrorism operations against a plan by the Islamic State to behead civilians in public. It was a sickening report, and I’m sure we were all grateful that our government acted so rapidly, ensuring our safety and national security.
But what is the fallout from media and politicians who invariably insight fear towards Muslim extremist groups and how will it affect the way we treat our fellow Muslim citizens?
In communities around Australia, Muslims residence are feeling the attitude of Australians shifting further, with demonising images of burqa-clad women holding guns being shared on social media by politicians and statements that ‘our people come first, before foreigners, asylum seekers or migrants’.
Meanwhile, western soldiers are bombing and killing thousands of Muslims in their home towns, in ongoing ‘peace keeping’ missions. Civilians become collateral damage in a fight against terrorist groups who are in the minority.
In the wake of 9/11 and the ensuing terrorist attacks on the west, more innocent civilians were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by western forces than those killed in all the terrorist deaths combined.
The Islamic State is a dangerous and frightening extremist group, and we absolutely must oppose them. However we must also consider the global headlines that insights and propogate fear towards ‘Muslims’. There is an irrational fear growing globally about what could and might happen. This behaviour is driving a dangerous and counterproductive wedge within society; an ‘us and them’ mentality that will only result in what we fear the most.
When a group is stigmatised, marginalised and humiliated due to religion, race or culture, it breeds a human desire for acceptance, most often at any cost. Those who are marginalised and humiliated will form groups within their cultural or religious identity. This is a breeding ground for gangs and ideological movements, formed to fight that which oppresses their identity, human rights and freedom. (Let me be clear however, this is not a statement that in anyway supports terrorist groups and activites.)
There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, making up 23 per cent of the world’s population. Extremist groups make up less than 2 per cent of this figure.
Western nations are not alone in the ‘fight against terrorism’. All over the world, from the villages in Somalia to the streets of London, the security of communities and countries are threatened by terrorist groups. You don’t need to be a developed, Christian nation to fear terrorism. Terrorism occurs most commonly between Muslim sects, government forces and rebel groups and nations at war. Think Syria, the Gaza Strip and ongoing Sunni and Shia clashes.
Terrorism is about fighting for an ideology. It is a reaction against a fear towards the ‘other’; those who do not share in the same ideology. If we, as a western community, insight fear against Muslims, terrorising them on the streets because of their choice in clothing, or their culture and beliefs, are we no better?
At the end of the day are we not also opposing an ideology and way of life? Though we may not activate our opposition through brutality, we have allowed our ideologies and expectations of what is ‘right’ to dictate our behaviour, discriminating and stigmatising the ‘other’.
We must see our fellow Muslim residence and citizens in Australia (and around the world) as our comrades rather than enemies. Was it not family members and friends who raised the alert of the foreboding terror attacks?
Let us not allow our own ideologies and the propagated media further instil fear and segregate a group of people for their culture and beliefs. In the end we will only breed and insight the very thing that we oppose; further segregating our society and increasing the risk of retributive attacks by a marginalised minority.
(Just so we’re clear, I in no way support terrorist activities, and am incredibly grateful that I come from a nation with such excellent security.)
Bethany Noble 