Confronting Islamophobia

On April 27, 2016, United for Peace and Justice convened a member group conference to address Resisting Militarism & Racism While Strengthening Our Base in 2016. On that call, several UFPJ member group contacts described the work they were doing to challenge islamophobia. Our discussion acknowledged the rise in hate crimes and racism, particularly toward Muslims living in America and abroad, including refugees of the USA’s foreign wars. We also identified the dehumanization of Muslim and Arab peoples as a key component in enabling the basic function of the war machine.

confrontingislamophobiaworking-groupOne of the outcomes of that member group call was the scheduling of UFPJ’s first ever Confronting Islamophobia Working Group meeting. Since then, nearly a dozen representatives of local and national organizations around the country have been meeting regularly to coordinate in our efforts to challenge islamophobia and racism as a tool of war. By working together to confront islamophobia, we aim to achieve greater understanding, organization, collaboration, solidarity, and to build powerful tools for peace and security.

The following text describes the mission of United for Peace and Justice’s Confronting Islamophobia Working Group.

What is Islamophobia?

“Islamophobia” refers to the manufactured fear of Muslim people. It is directed against a range of communities including Arabs, South Asians, other regional and ethnic groups, and, generally, people perceived-as-being Muslim by others. Politicians, governments, and institutions promote and exploit distrust of Muslims to expand their political power and to rationalize war and domination. Islamophobia promotes injustice and systemic racism in which resources and security disparities are reinforced through socially-permitted prejudice, bigotry, scapegoating, division, hate crimes, discriminatory political and economic policies, intimidation, repression, state violence and militarism.

Call to Action

As a collective of United for Peace and Justice member groups, we will work together and unite our movement and allies to:

  • Build a united coalition across movements and communities to oppose Islamophobia and all forms of oppression.
  • Expose and counter demagogic appeals to prejudice, bigotry, racism, and oppression.
  • Organize opposition to government repression and surveillance of religious, ethnic, racial, gender communities.

How We Will Do It

  • Provide educational and organizing resources to those who are committed to this mission.
  • Inspire, organize, coordinate trainings, and promote actions to further these goals nationally.
  • Collect and develop accessible resources that can be used by participating organizations.
  • Provide clearinghouse for organizations to promote activities and materials.

Criteria for Participation

  1. We will organize against government surveillance, entrapment, police militarism, and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE).
  2. We will resist through speech and action anti-Muslim and hate speech, and hate crimes and anti-immigrant profiling, detention and deportation policies.
  3. We will condemn and stand against U.S. policies of perpetual war that demonize Islam and target and kill Muslims and people of color.
  4. We will act through nonviolent means to resist and overthrow institutionalized oppression and Islamophobia.

Resources

Trainings

Factsheets/General

Take Action

Request a Confronting Islamophobia/Bystander Training in your community by sending an email to info.ufpj at gmail.com.

 

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