Georgetown University Qatar hosts conference addressing global impact of Islamophobia
Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) commenced its conference titled “Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia” with a powerful call to unite against Islamophobia, discrimination, bigotry, and racism on a global scale. This initiative comes in response to the alarming rise in anti-Muslim bias and hate-related incidents worldwide. The conference aims to critically examine Islamophobia’s pervasive presence in political, social, educational, and other spheres.
During his opening keynote speech, H.E. Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, Founder of the World for All Foundation, shed light on the deep-rooted issues surrounding Islamophobia. He emphasized, “We create isms and phobias for every difference, dressing it up as an anxiety of the unknown, leading to surveillance, harsh punishments, and stringent immigration policies, as if these are normal laws to implement. These elements have evolved into what can only be described as mainstream extremism.” H.E. Ambassador Rasool highlighted the burden placed on victims of Islamophobia, stating, “When you label it a fear, a phobia, you shift the burden onto the victim. They endure discrimination and must also prove they are not the source of fear.”
Addressing the current situation, H.E. Ambassador Rasool noted the unique challenges faced by the “Muslim other” globally, especially in Western countries where nearly 10% of the population constitutes the Muslim minority. He emphasized that Islamophobia has transcended Western borders and has found a foothold in countries like India, China, Myanmar, and others with Muslim minorities. He stressed the importance of solidarity in combating all forms of bigotry, transcending religious, racial, and ethnic boundaries.
In response to inquiries about the role of diplomacy and sports in combating Islamophobia, H.E. Ambassador Rasool highlighted the effectiveness of public diplomacy, as demonstrated by Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022TM, in countering anti-Islamic sentiment.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Arian, Associate Professor of History at GU-Q and a conference co-organizer, delivered the welcoming remarks, emphasizing the dual nature of Islamophobia as a globalized yet locally rooted phenomenon. He expressed the conference’s objective to unravel the complexities of Islamophobia, explore its impact on populations worldwide, and devise strategies to address this challenge across various spheres.
The conference, scheduled until Sunday, October 1, features leading scholars and academics analyzing the contemporary drivers of Islamophobic practices and their global interconnections. In addition to informative sessions, public workshops and a student-led forum will focus on combating Islamophobia within university campuses.
For comprehensive details about the conference and its sessions, please visit [https://hiwaraat.qatar.georgetown.edu/islamophobia/]
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'Last rites' of INDIA bloc: BJP on Cong-DMK fallout in Tamil Nadu
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress for extending support to Vijay's TVK in forming the government in Tamil Nadu and breaking away from its long term ally DMK, saying the party has a history of "betraying" its allies.
The saffron party also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, claiming the alliance is "falling apart like a pack of cards" and lacks any common ideology or vision.
The Tamil Nadu Congress has decided to support TVK leader Vijay in forming a secular government in the state, sources said.
The decision to support the TVK was taken at an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Tamil Nadu Congress late on Tuesday night.
Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the INDIA alliance had effectively come to an end after the declaration of assembly election results on May 4.
"There is nobody whom the Congress has not deceived. Imagine what they will do to the Samajwadi Party if they have done this to the DMK," he wrote in a post on X.
Calling it the "last rites" of the INDIA bloc, Poonawalla, in a video post, said, "It has become a Bharat free of the DMK, TMC and the Left, and now Congress has dumped the DMK for the TVK."
The BJP spokesperson alleged that the opposition bloc was formed solely out of political compulsions and personal ambitions.
"The INDI alliance never had any mission or vision. It was only about ambition for position, corruption, commission and obsession against Modi ji that they came together. But now it is all falling apart like a pack of cards," he said.
Questioning the unity of the opposition parties, Poonawalla said the alliance was absent in several states during the election.
"Where was the INDI alliance in Bengal, in Kerala, in Gujarat, in Punjab, in Delhi, in Haryana, in Karnataka? There is no INDI alliance," he said.
The DMK on Wednesday described the Congress move to extend support to TVK as a "backstab" by its long-time national ally.
Speaking to PTI videos, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai said, "The Congress party has decided to ally with the TVK, pledging their support to the party. I think they have backstabbed... They have backstabbed the people of Tamil Nadu. They've backstabbed the mandate given by the people of Tamil Nadu."
He said that the decision came even before the electoral process had fully concluded.
"Even before the ink on the returning officer's signature on the victory certificate dried up, they've chosen to go ahead with an alliance," he said.
Vijay's TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the halfway mark. He needs the support of 10 MLAs to form a government with a simple majority. The results were declared only on Monday.
The Congress has won five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has bagged four seats. The CPI and CPI-M have two seats each. The outgoing ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has won 59 seats while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won 47 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won only one seat, and so have the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), while the VCK has won two seats.
The Congress had fought the assembly polls in a pre-poll alliance with the DMK, while the BJP had a tie-up with the AIADMK.
