How Arizona Muslims are fighting the 'Islamophobia industry'

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal sadly chose to publish an opinion piece claiming Dearborn, Mich., is “America’s Jihad Capital.”

The author, Steven Stalinsky, is one of the stalwarts of the “Islamophobia industry.” According to the Center of American Progress and the Carter Center, there is an established network of funders, think tanks, social media influencers, and activists that peddle hatred and depict Muslim Americans as a threat to our national security.

On the day the op-ed was published, I was participating in a public forum in Scottsdale organized by the Muslim Public Affairs Council bringing together local Evangelical Christians and Muslims for “Visualizing Peace and Justice in America.”

The event highlighted that there is a different story, a different reality, if we only care to look and listen.

Muslims work to strengthen our community

As co-chair of ASU’s new Center of Muslim Experience in the U.S., established in 2022, I am awed by the sheer extent of Muslims and their partners who are working tirelessly to strengthen the values inscribed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution by struggling for justice, equality and democracy for all.

There are more than 100,000 Muslims in the Phoenix area, from a huge diversity of ethno-national backgrounds and social conditions. Many of them are active members of dozens of organizations working to strengthen our communities.

The Arizona Muslim Women’s Association, the Muslim Outreach and Volunteer Enterprise and the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona represent just the tip of the iceberg of organizations doing amazing work interconnecting our diverse communities.

This civic engagement is the bedrock of strong communities and thriving democracies. This is what makes America so unique.

To question the loyalty of Muslim Americans, to see their civic engagement as a threat, and to expose them to continued harassment and violence is un-American.

Hate has Jews and Muslims on edge

It is not Muslims who are a threat to American society and democracy, but rather those who prefer tribalism and racism, be it against Black, Latino or Asian people, be it antisemitism or Islamophobia.

Combined, Islamophobic and antisemitic incidences across the country spiked 275% in late 2023 over the previous year following the horrendous Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the disproportionate retaliation by Israeli security forces.

The hate people carry in their hearts led to the killing of several Muslim Americans, one of whom was a 6-year-old.

Local Jews and Muslims alike are on edge and have reported various incidents of harassment across our cities.

In the Phoenix area, mosques, synagogues and Sikh gurudwaras (Sikhs often being mistaken for Muslims) increased their security. Due to security concerns, several public events were canceled, including a talk by Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Many academics and experts also are self-censuring, denying all of us diverse perspectives and critical knowledge about the history and politics of the region.

Tribalism divides us. This connects us

Pastor Dean Kuest of Glendale’s Central Christian Church, in a recent forum, related the full story of the good Samaritans, who were a community looked down upon by the rest of society. Despite their lowly status, they took to heart the message of Jesus to be a good neighbor by caring for strangers.

It reminded me of a well-known story of the Prophet Muhammad when he first started preaching the word of God. He was much despised by the elites of Meccan society, just as Jesus was 500 years earlier in Jerusalem. There was an elderly neighbor who would toss garbage at him whenever he walked past.

One day when he walked past her wall there was no garbage dumped on him. He went to the house and inquired about the woman and learned she was sick. He sat at her bedside and prayed for her recovery.

American democracy can only thrive when we listen to one another, see one another and care for one another, whether we agree with one another or not; whether we are white, Black or brown; whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish or some other religion.

Primordial tribalism divides our nation into our community and their community, us and them.

I invite you to learn and share by listening and observing what Muslim Americans are actually saying and doing — not what a highly paid mouthpiece or political opportunist tells us they are doing.

Chad Haines, Ph.D., is co-director of the Center of Muslim Experience in the U.S. and associate professor of Religious Studies at Arizona State University. Reach him at chad.s.haines@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Muslims are fighting the 'Islamophobia industry.' Here's how