Every community has its own issues. A lot of the times, we tip-toe around these issues, afraid they will taint our community’s reputation. When the whole world seems to be against you, the last thing you’d want to do is provoke it. In a previous article, I touched on sexism, misogyny and feminism in the Muslim community. In a time where Islamophobia is prevalent and widespread, it’s more important than ever to shut down these negative stereotypes. However, most people tend to ignore these issues altogether because addressing them will only encourage and perpetuate Islamophobia, right? Not quite. By turning a blind eye to these issues, you are actually allowing them to cultivate and grow, while those affected continue to suffer. You know you’re doing something wrong when your reputation becomes more important than a human’s life. As is the case with ex-Muslims, or more specifically, ex-Muslims in Muslim-majority countries.
In some countries, ex-Muslims are limited the freedom of religious choice, let alone criticizing a religion that the majority follow, so social platforms are often their only way of speaking out against their oppression. They are simply sharing their story, and criticizing issues that our entire community needs to address and solve anyway. However, these discussions are often dismissed as Islamophobic, immediately silencing a conversation that we need to have. This can even go as far as reporting them to local authorities and sending threats. While Islamophobia is a very real issue, it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to derail ex-Muslims. If you’re in a Muslim country, you can’t label ex-Muslims in the same country as “oppressive”, because guess what? You’re the majority in this case. The same excuse is used to derail conversations about sexism, colorism, misogyny, anti-blackness and other issues that we need to bring more attention to. We need to recognize that these issues exist and allow people to share their experiences in order to raise awareness, confront them and truly cease them.
Some things to keep in mind:
1) Individuals are more important than your community’s reputation
If someone brings up an issue, listen to them. If the issue lies in your community, so does the solution.
2) Criticism does not equal attack
If it’s not disrespectful, prejudiced or harmful, it’s not Islamophobia.
3) Don’t speak over them
My experience is different from yours. Muslims living in Western countries are a minority. So are ex-Muslims in Muslim countries. Recognize that the two still have different experiences.
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