Experts Discuss New Report on Islamophobia, Anti-Muslim Hate

G20 Interfaith Forum

Prominent Muslim academics who work in the interfaith and anti-hate spaces will also share their perspectives on historical trends of Islamophobia in the West

From women having their hijabs ripped off to workplace racism and harassment, the study shows how prevalent everyday Islamophobia is in the country and provides policy recommendations.”

— Reyhana Patel, Islamic Relief Canada

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, June 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Anti-Racism Initiative of the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20), the world’s leading organization focused on the intersection of faith and policy, is gathering world-renowned experts on Islam,

interfaith collaboration, and anti-hate efforts to discuss Islamophobia through the lens of historical trends and current reports.

A central focus of discussion at the free webinar will be a newly released report by Islamic Relief Canada, which sheds light on recent incidents of discrimination and microaggressions, then looks at the long-term effects of hate.

Reyhana Patel, Director of Communications and Government Relations at Islamic Relief Canada, said the report highlights how common incidents of prejudice and hate crime really are.

"Islamic Relief Canada's most recent report gives us an insight into the scale of everyday Islamophobia happening in Canada,” Patel said. “From women having their hijabs ripped off to workplace racism and harassment, the study shows how prevalent everyday Islamophobia is in the country and provides policy recommendations on what needs to be done."

Two prominent Muslim academics who work in the interfaith and anti-hate spaces will also share their perspectives on historical trends of Islamophobia in the West and the work being done to make this all-too-often invisible issue visible.

Christina Tobias-Nahi, who will moderate the webinar, wrote the following statement in behalf of the IF20 Anti-Racism Initiative:
“By 2020, 1.9 billion people worldwide adhered to the universalizing precepts of Islam: submission to the will of Allah; reverence for the Qur'an; and the practice of ethical principles. This constitutes 25% of the world’s citizens.

“During their long and storied history, Muslims have preserved the ancient wisdom, art, and philosophies of the Greek and Roman worlds; pioneered a harmonious relationship between science and religion; developed timeless forms of art and literature, and earned, as one scholar has declared, the status of ‘Ornament of the World.’

“And yet, it is a rare week when in non-Muslim countries, Muslims are not subject to abuse, attack, and murder. For example, systemic social and legal attacks on Muslims in India increase on a daily basis while the world has turned a blind eye to the destruction of Uyghur communities and cultures in China due to their religious identity. These phenomena coupled with rising anti-Muslim sentiment in western contexts has made the problem of Islamophobia a major global concern.”

The virtual meeting covering Islamophobia will take place on June 13, 2022 at 11:30 am EDT.
Register for the free webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jMWK4XDtQDGOl1RvynyBNw


Speakers will include:
• Abbas Barzegar – Director of the Horizon Forum and term-member of the Council on Foreign Relations
• Amir Hussain – Chair and Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University and President-Elect of the American Academy of Religion
• Reyhana Patel – Director of Communications and Government Relations at Islamic Relief Canada
• Christina Tobias-Nahi – Director of Public Affairs at Islamic Relief USA


About the G20 Process

The Group of Twenty, or G20, is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, bringing together the leaders of Earth’s most prosperous economies. Collectively, G20 members represent around 80 percent of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the global population and three-quarters of international trade. Throughout the year, representatives from G20 countries gather to discuss financial and socioeconomic issues as well as broader humanitarian issues targeted by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

About the G20 Interfaith Forum

The G20 Interfaith Forum seeks global solutions by collaborating with religious thought leaders and political representatives to help shape the overall G20 agenda. It draws on the vital roles that religious institutions and beliefs play in world affairs, reflecting a rich diversity of institutions, ideas, and values. Through its extensive network of networks, it helps prioritize key global policy goals and point toward practical means of implementation
at every level of society.

For more information, please visit www.g20interfaith.org.