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Every trade has its tools and propaganda is one of the essential tools in war. It helps in setting the scene very well and in furnishing the foundation of wars; by psychologically conditioning the minds of people to accept the new policies and decisions made by the perpetrating government to provide a justification for their actions against other countries.
Propaganda is important in gaining the backing of people in support of the perpetrating country. This is the ABC of any war with which Western countries are very familiar. It is a subject taught in Australian high schools especially in connection with Hitler’s use of propaganda in justifying his actions against the Jews. However, Western history books conceal how propaganda is widely used to justify their actions. For example, the term “anti-Semitism” has been and still is widely used in the Zionist propaganda campaigns to create an instant image of victimized Jews. This kind of propaganda had served the purpose in the past to prepare the world for the next step, namely the resettling of Jews in Palestine. Thereby the occupation of the land was justified, as was the expulsion of its citizens, the massacre of those who remained, and the building of new communities atop the ruins of an entire country.
Here, we see the essential importance of the role of propaganda and its tools—its terms and ideologies—to brainwash people.
The same concept is being applied today in the wars taking place in the various regions of the Middle East. The purpose of the propaganda and the spread of Islamophobia have provided strong, emotional justification for the actions of world leaders in invading countries such as Iraq and Libya. Moreover, interference in the peace process of other Arab countries such as Syria, and disruption of the establishment of strong governments, which has led to the continuation of chaos and disorder, serve to weaken the Arab countries thereby making them an easier target and prey.
The word Islamophobia has been used extensively and systematically over the past one hundred years to make political gains against Muslims. The word reveals a double meaning: phobia (unreasonable fear) against Islam leading to racism; at the same time, the word gives the impression that Muslims must have done something awful to shock and terrorize people, who became so afraid of Muslims that they have developed a mental condition—a phobia.
This is a true reflection of what is actually happening to Muslims. Despite the fact that the word should signify racism against Islam, it is also being used against Muslims to list all the dreadful acts that they have perpetrated to lead to such racism. Propaganda is indeed a smart tool in this political war against Muslims, the indigenous populations of Arab countries who had to flee because of wars directed against them in the name of anti-terrorism and Islamophobia.
Islamophobia has become the tool of choice for many racist politicians across the world. We see Trump in the USA winning the presidential campaign by using racist and sexist comments and making strong statements against Muslims, refugees, and women. In Australia, Pauline Hanson has resurrected her racist slogans, this time against Muslims. She has reemerged because the world is now preparing itself for the new world order—one that is coarse and unashamed of its racist and prejudiced opinions and policies against the weak and the disadvantaged; the new Australian refugee policy is a good example of this.
Another example of using Islamophobia in an unjustified way comes from the Minister for Immigration, Mr. Peter Dutton. He accused Lebanese Muslims, who migrated in the seventies, of raising their children in such a way that resulted in their involvement in crime and terrorism. Such comments were very damaging in painting a whole community with the same brush and dismissing the thousands of good Australian Muslims who contribute positively to this country. Indeed, Dutton’s comments provided an excuse for many “Islamophobic”, “patriotic” Australians to act in a racist manner toward Muslims. In their minds, they felt that such acts were warranted because Muslims were abusing the generosity of the Australian migration system. Many Muslims have become victims of racial discrimination because of Dutton’s irresponsible comments and Hanson’s hatred and intolerance.
Many European and Western countries believe in what they call “civil rehabilitation to Muslim communities.” This concept originated in the Eurocentric belief that for centuries Europeans were the center of the world and responsible for rehabilitating any community they believed to be backward. To achieve this, they implemented numerous policies based on fear and terror to justify their actions against those communities and races. The same tools are now being used against Islam and Muslims. The West feels the need to “rehabilitate” some Muslim countries that were ruled by dictators, and “democracy” is needed to replace the ruthless regimes of the likes of Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi in Iraq and Libya. Thus, the world is led to believe that the objective of the wars was to restore order and establish democracy. Of course, none of this was achieved.
The only tools to combat Islamophobia and acts of racism against Muslims are education, civil debates, and the spreading of awareness. The question is: will this ever be achieved in Australia?
thepolitical
