ODVV Statement on 8th session of the Forum on Minority Issues

 From Paris Attacks to Muslim Harassments

Once again world is appalled by ISIS heinous crimes. Paris attacks by ISIS have left about 130 people dead and about 200 wounded, only a week earlier, in Beirut, 43 people got killed and at least 239 others were wounded by suicide bombers, and a month earlier, ISIS claimed the responsibility for downing a Russian plane and killing all 224 people on board . This is while killing of civilians by the terrorists continues in Iraq and Syria and the world memory still remembers the horrible stories of the ISIS atrocities to women, children, detainees and minorities.
There are no religious justifications or any other excuses for the crimes committed in the Name of Islam, however, the world Muslims will be the ones to pay for the price of the catastrophes. The attacks promote a feeling of hatred toward all Muslims round the world and creates an atmosphere similar to the one we witnessed after the 9/11. Irrational and xenophobic hate seems to be increasing against people who identify as Muslims because religious extremists threaten the world and the way the stories are covered in the media does not help the people recognize that one small political sect, created with political intentions, supported by the countries that wrongly differentiate between moderate terrorism and hardliner terrorism, does not represent Islam or Muslims.
Violence against Muslims contributes to the phenomenon called Islamophobia, to hate speech in social media, attacks on mosques and religious sites and insult and discrimination against Muslims .
Comprehensive studies in the field of Islamophobia indicate most Muslims believe that in the west, they are not treated as equal citizens. The studies prove that there Muslims are being discriminated against in Western societies. What make the situation even worst is the backlashes of ISIS attacks for Muslims living in Western countries.
Our organization calls on the forum on Minority Issues to conduct studies on how to control the negative consequences of terrorist acts done in the Name of Islam and protect Muslims against the adverse consequences.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/paris-shooting/
. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/lebanon-arrests-deadly-beirut-bombings-151115145052707.html
. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34840943
. http://www.islamophobia.org/15-reports/172-recent-anti-islam-incidents-in-texas.html
. http://www.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx