Islam has re-emerged as a potent force in international politics. The so-called war on terrorism, in particular, has refocused the West’s attention on the many 'faces' of Islam. Indeed, for some, the demise of the red menace of communism is seen to have been replaced by the green threat of Islam. A number of recent studies have revealed a disturbing pattern of growing Islamaphobia.
A poll conducted by University of New South Wales academic Dr Kevin Dunn, for example, indicated that only one in six Australians had a high-quality understanding of Islam. The most common negative stereotypes were that Islam is a fundamentalist (27 per cent) and intolerant (24 per cent) religion. Unsurprisingly, individuals with no contact with Islam were twice as likely (45 per cent) to be ignorant of it, in contrast to those who had some contact with Islam (21 per cent).
Personal cultural experiences and expectations will influence individuals in their understanding of other races and cultures. A stereotype is a static image in which the attributes of a group are exaggerated or simplified, and the group is described or evaluated in terms of these attributes. Although ethnic and racial stereotypes may have some indistinct, vague basis in reality, they are flagrant oversimplifications and ignore the reality that any group is composed of individuals who are themselves infinitely complex and different from each other. Misguided and limited perceptions enable stereotyping to contribute to prejudice and discrimination in many parts of the world. Selective attention in choosing religious extremes will also allow broad and often erroneous generalisations to be made.
Islam is neither unified nor a threat to the West. Authors such as Leon Hadar have correctly referred to dangerous analyses that posit an all-consuming threat out of unrelated, isolated events all over the world. Numerous examples are given of the changes and instability of a post-Cold War environment being part of a perceived grand scheme of Islam and Islamic solidarity. These include the World Trade Centre bombing in New York City, the civil war in the Sudan, terrorist attacks in Egypt, the popularity of Islamic parties in Algeria and Tunisia, the Lebanese Shiites’ struggle for political power, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Persian Gulf war.
The Islamic resurgence is not a powerful global ideology competing with democracy. It is important to note that some of the fanaticism displayed is typically nationalist in origin. The notion of preventing Islamic