Collaborative: Islamophobia

Islamophobia is the dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, espcially as a political force. It is thought to be a social anxiety about Islam and Muslims. Some social scientists have adopted this definition and developed instruments to meausre Islamophobia in form of fearful attitudes towards, and avoidance of, Muslims and Islam, arguing that Islamophobia should 'essentially be understood as an affective part of social stigma towards Islam and Muslims, namely fear.'
Contrasting (closed) views on Islam:

1. Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change.
2. It is seen as separate and "other". It does not have values in common with other cultures, is not affected by them and does not influence them.
3. It is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive, and sexist.
4. It is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism, and engaged in a clash of civilizations.
5. It is seen as a political ideology, used for political or military advantage.
6. Criticisms made of "the West" by Muslims are rejected out of hand.
7. Hostility towards Islam is used to justify discriminatory practices towards Muslims and exclusion of Muslims from mainstream society.
8. Anti-Muslim hostility is seen as natural and normal.
9. It is seen that Muslims follow a 'violent prophet', Muhammad.

Islamophobia in the UK 
On the rise in the uk , Britain is thought to have an "acceptance" of anti-Muslim rhetoric that would not be tolerated for other minorities, it has been claimed. Attacks on Mosques or Muslim centres take place 'less than once every fortnight' in the UK. 
Islamophobia may be holding back UK Muslims in the workplace by widespread racism and discrimination, according to a study which finds that Muslim adults are far less likely to be in full-time work. Research also found evidence of women being encouraged by their communities to focus on marriage and motherhood rather than gaining employment. 
- students face stereotyping and low expectations from teachers and a lack of Muslim staff or other role models in the classroom 
- minority ethnic-sounding names reduce the likelihood of people being offered an interview
- young Muslims routinely fear becoming targets of bullying and harassmet and feel forced to work harder than their white counterparts 
- women wearing headscarfs face particular discrimination once entering the workplace

Women and Islamophobia
There are a lot of articles published on the Islamophobia targetted to the women and the different myths that are created. Feminism is defined as the belief that women and men should be treated equally in a society, Muslim women are no different than any other women. 
Myth #1 Muslim women are oppressed and submissive
Myth #2 Muslim women are conservative
Myth #3 Muslim women are forced to wear the headscarf
Myth #4 Muslim women are uneducated and dependent
Myth #5 Muslim women employees wearing the headscarf cannot be neutral
Myth #6 Muslim women are subject to domestic violence

Raising awareness
The media is known to have a huge impact on society and the opinions that people build about particular topics. There has been evidence that the British media is responsible for the rise in Islamophobia. Research by the University of Cambridge has shown that mainstream media reporting about Muslim communities is contributing to an atmosphere of rising hostility toward Muslims in Britain. More than half of Britons see Islam as a threat to Western liberal democracy, with 30% of young children believing that Muslims are 'taking over England'. Knowing that media can have such a big influence on society, the publication we are creating will be used to raise awareness in equality and how the women are the same as others within the UK.