28th August,2026.
By:Mohammed Amin Lamptey Hussein
Mehdi Hasan,the seasoned broadcast journalist has recently highlighted a severe double standard in Western politics and western media regarding acceptable anti-Muslim bigotry.
Hasan pointed out that political double Standards on anti-semitic statements by political figures would instantly end careers and dominate national headlines, whereas similar derogatory rhetoric targeting Muslim- such as comments by Republican representative Andy Ogles-frequently passes without comparable outrage or consequence.
He criticized the media and politicians for a persistent double standard in how crimes are described, stating, “We never define crimes by religion, except when it’s a Muslim,” noting that this practice singles out visibly Muslim individuals and amounts to systemic racism.
Hasan warned that political attacks on progressive Muslim politicians (like Zohran Mamdani) rely on a recycled “Muslim boogeyman” trope that is resurging in public discourse and endangering lives.On failure of leadership:He argued that mainstream political parties-including Democrats in the U.S.-have largely allowed Islamophobia to fester and remain unchecked within political and media spaces.
American Muslims often face Islamophobia and racialization due to stereotypes and generalizations ascribed to them. Due to this, Islamophobia is both a product of and a contributor to the United States’ racial ideology, which is founded on socially constructed categories of profiled features, or how people seem.
Islamophobic protest in Ohio
Advocacy groups like the Center for American Progress explain that this social phenomenon is not new; rather, it has increased its presence in American social and political discourse over the last ten to fifteen years.They cite the fact that several organizations donate large amounts of money to create the “Islamophobia megaphone”.CAP defines the megaphone analogy as “a tight network of anti-Muslim, anti-Islam foundations, misinformation experts, validators, grass root organizations, religious rights groups and their allies in the media and in politics” who work together to misrepresent Islam and Muslims in the United States.
As a result of this network, Islam is now one of the most stigmatized religions, with only 42 percent of Americans having a favorable opinion of Islam,according to a 2021 Associated Press/Norc Center for Public Affairs Research poll. Similarly, Muslims are one of the most negatively viewed religious groups in the United States. This biased perception of Islam and Muslims manifests itself into the discrimination of racially perceived Muslims in the law and media, and is conceptually reinforced by the Islamophobia network.
Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States and other western countries have reached record highs in recent years, driven by geopolitical conflicts and heightened political rhetoric.Verifiable information available indicates that Documented Civil Rights Complaints Record Highs reveals that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported 8,658 complaints regarding anti-Islam and anti-Arab incidents, marking a historic peak since data collection began in 1996.
Employment discrimination represents the largest share of complaints at 15.4%, followed closely by issues related to immigration, asylum, and education.
Institutional incidents reveals that documented cases of mosque vandalism, burning, or defacement reached a ten-year high, alongside a sharp rise in negative law enforcement encounters.
The Islamophobia Index maintained by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), the public Islamophobia index score among the general U.S. population rose from 25 in 2022 to 33.
Endorsement of negative stereotypes against Muslims increased most notably among white Evangelicals, Catholics, and Protestants, while remaining relatively stable among the Muslim population itself.Over 60% of surveyed American Muslims report experiencing regular religious discrimination, leading many to feel marginalized or censor their daily expression.
It is important to state that Islam is the world’s fastest-growing major religion, with a global population growth rate of about 1.84% to 2.1% annually.
Statistically, the global Muslim population grew by 347 million people between 2010 and 2020, which is more than all other religions combined.With percentage share, Muslims increased from roughly 24% to 25.6% (or up to 26%) of the total world population over that decade.The growth speed of Muslim population expanded by 21% over the decade, growing at twice the speed of the rest of the world’s population.
It’s about time Muslim leadership across the globe review their responsibilities, by infusing high sense of urgency and accuracy in their dealings with thevm western world to help preserve the sanctity of Islam and Muslims in the United States and all other countries across the globe.