Islamic terrorism remains a global issue – with the horrific bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, which claimed over 250 lives, just the latest example. In that case, Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, but the extent of its direct involvement remains unclear.
What we know for certain is that murdering innocent people in their
homes or places of worship, or as they go about their daily business,
yields outrage, fear and grief. It turns people against one another, and
invites retribution. Terror is a vicious cycle, always a catastrophe
for its victims, inevitably a calamity for its perpetrators, and
unavoidably a cost for humanity.
But can community leaders help mitigate this? In ongoing research,
partly funded by the University of Portsmouth, we asked more
specifically how Muslim leaders should respond in communities
simultaneously blamed for and victimised by terrorism.
Read more:
Who are Sri Lanka’s Muslims?
Many Muslims leaders condemn such attacks outright. And in May 2017,
70 Muslim clerics from three Muslim countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Indonesia – issued a Fatwa against violence and terrorism in all its forms. The Fatwa said:
We reaffirm that violence and terrorism cannot and should not be
associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group,
as violent extremism and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations
including violence against civilians and suicide attacks are against the
holy principles of Islam.
Earlier research
suggests that a key problem is that Islam is commonly treated as an
“other”, something in opposition to the “Western world”. The upshot is
that Muslim leaders in the West face prejudice when they attempt to
speak for themselves and their communities, particularly if their
message doesn’t chime precisely with the majority view.
Over a century ago, W. E. B. Du Bois called out the “othering” of
black Americans in the early 20th century. In his seminal text, The Souls of Black Folk,
he argued that the problem is not only how the dominant group
categorises minority groups in stereotypical ways, but also how these
communities come to see themselves from the dominant group’s
perspective.
Indeed, when Muslim leaders respond to terrorist attacks, they are
faced with a double bind. In the eyes of wider society, either their
community is to be pitied as collateral victims of violence enacted by a
few radical ideologues in their midst, or they deserve to be shamed as
complicit by virtue of several shared beliefs. People light candles for victims of the Sri Lanka bombing in Islamabad, Pakistan. April 24, 2019.EPA Images
A condemnation of the attacks by Muslim leaders, alone, does not
redeem Muslims, as it still portrays them as an “other”, collectively
responsible for, and somewhat complicit in, the actions of a few.
Similarly, appealing to victimhood merely reinforces prejudices of
weakness, depicting Muslims as unable to resolve their own matters, and
therefore in need of “rescue”.
But such marginalisation of a group could itself sow the seeds of
further violence. The leader of the biggest Muslim party in Sri Lanka, Rauff Hakeem,
warned that feelings of marginalisation among Muslims may be
exacerbated if crackdowns are overzealous. If Muslims, a minority
community in Sri Lanka, are more widely seen as “others”, it is less
likely that distinctions will be made between terrorists, criminals –
and ordinary followers of the religion. Tensions will likely rise. As Hakeem said:
That’s a worrying factor for all of us. The vulnerability can result
in serious feelings of insecurity. We should not build up fertile ground
for radicalisation further.
Alternative narratives
Our investigation into how Muslim leaders responded in the aftermath of the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings,
which killed three and injured hundreds, shows that leaders of minority
communities can create alternative narratives that can help reshape the
dominant perspective.
Instead of just condemning terrorism or highlighting their
victimhood, they can emphasise the recovery, healing and development of
both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Following the Boston Marathon
bombings, for example, Muslim leaders doubled their efforts in community
development and outreach to other groups. And when responding in the media, they discussed what they had been doing to contribute to broader society.
Muslim leaders in Boston refused to merely condemn the attacks but
went further by mourning the victims alongside other individuals and
communities who had been affected by the attack. They also organised
counselling and support sessions for the victims of the attacks. Going
beyond the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, they now participate in
campaigns to control illegal guns, broaden healthcare access and tackle
the problem of homelessness in Boston.
This endeavour has been picked up by the local press which since then has provided a different kind of coverage of the Muslim community in Boston, recognising its efforts to combat different social problems.
By following this example, Muslim leaders can help to make Muslim
identity, not “other”, but part of the mainstream. And this would allow
whole societies to respond collectively to terror, and resist the
temptation to find scapegoats in their midst.
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