Dominic Asquith

As much as I agree that this case is perhaps isolated and is not representative of Western sentiments towards Muslims and/or Islam, I'm still disturbed by how the media in America and Europe, what we loosely term "the West", has initially reacted to the incident. As a journalist, I was very keen to watch how it all unfolded and I wasn't impressed with reports downplaying the incident or referring to it as "a courtroom drama" and it did take a couple of days before the story was picked up by big news outlets. As a Muslim, I couldn't help but think whether or not the same language would have been used if, say, it were a Muslim who had committed this crime against a German or a British citizen. And immediately I saw in my mind's eye prestigious papers describing it directly or through quotes as a hate crime, and tabloids like News of the World, Daily Star or the Sun screaming "Muslims terrorists" in headlines if the tables were turned. And trust me, I'm not the kind of Muslim who gets offended easily. I didn't bat an eyelid for the Danish cartoons, personally supported Jack Straw's freedom in criticizing the niqab face veil and didn't care about Wilder's Fitna. Despite all this, I couldn't help feeling this "distrust" towards some Western media that otherwise I have so much faith in after this incident, especially that it only began to take the matter more seriously following furious reactions from Muslims, especially in the Arab world and specifically in Egypt. Do we have to get angry and raise our fists in the air for the media to recognize our pain? Besides, this incident comes at a time when Europe seems to be leaning towards right-wing and where parties like BNP are getting a little bit more popular and even getting seats in the EU, when a legislative blanket ban on niqab is being discussed in France, and on and so forth so there's this sense of insecurity among Muslims anyway. I think the context is also important here. To recap, I reject the idea that the West is islamphobic or xenophobic, but I believe that the reaction to this particular incident didn't help their case much.

Posted by Pakinam Amer on July 15, 2009 at 01:46 PM BST #

This is the first time I ever post my opinion about anything online! I am a returning chevening scholar and I recall asking in my interview about tolerance towards veiled women in Europe since Sept 11th. I was assured that Europeans are curious about other cultures and have varied attitudes towards them and that there was no guarantee that individual incidences will not occur! Somehow this reply was relieving and I decided to take on the challenge and proceed with my travel arrangements. Ever since my arrival at the UK and until I left, I was met with comforting respect and amazing neutrality from the people. I even felt jealous at times that in my own country we do not always receive people from different cultures with a similar neutral if not positive curiosity without wanting to change the other, prove them wrong or ridicule their thoughts and beliefs. I guess the key to answer the question you have put forward is opening more channels of communication between individuals worldwide. The requirement may seem as simple as opening up more venues where views are shared, respected and discussed with a certain degree of transparency. But in a way it is a complicated task with the fast-paced growth and advancements in the media and telecommunications lanes. Amongst many beneficial solutions such as the ability to post comments such as this one on a topic of your choice, we observe online fora where freedom of speech is abused and insulting publications are being spread and promoted online. I am sure these were not the intentions of those who created the technology in the first place! So I guess we should take one step back and start even earlier where awareness is raised on how to use such innovative tools to express opinions at an early age. May be even in schools where the art of non-violent communication is administered to students who will one day become active citizens of the global village. As modes of communication get more and more developed and travel is getting easier and more advanced, the future generation will travel more representing their countries and carrying their values and beliefs with them. A reality that needs to be accompanied by a code of ethics or "a toolkit" to avoid violent clashes like the ones we are being exposed to and made bigger by the proliferating media of today.

Posted by Hala Mohie Eldin on July 15, 2009 at 02:01 PM BST #

the problem seems to be of two parts: .1. PR crisis of a Western Gov with the Egyptian public typical of any two nations having similar citizens situations like the recent case of American in Italian court, and the second is .2. the viewing of Arabs in the West. Many here in Egypt are thinking that both parts have been neglected by the Germans. For the first, the event went so unremarkable in Germany that no high official of this Gov has given any address to the Egyptian and German public! Quite simple public diplomacy exercises that have been ignored with potentially very bad results. This upsets the educated more than the commoners; the profile that seems to produce most of the extremism in Arab societies. Such PR handling is sure to defuse the tension which maybe used in the future by extremists attempting violence in the West to appeal to an otherwise, pacifist Arab public. As for the Second, this atrocity specially the part of Police shooting the defending husband because he looked Arab! would have educated a German and generally European public of how Muslims view Muslims treatment in the West. Many educated Arabs believe that the only Arab viewed in Western Media is an angry Arab! It would certainly bridge the gap to show why Arabs are angry or even paranoid when living in the West. The address of a High official from the Gov would also help bringing such Murder to the awareness of more people of the European public which would certainly help in lessening Islamophobia.

Posted by Mohamed Mabrouk on July 15, 2009 at 04:27 PM BST #

I would have to agree with most of what you've kindly highlighted, but I would also have to add that building that trust relationship takes two and that any compromise should basically meet somewhere in the middle. What enticed me to comment on this blog incidentally this is my first blog ever is that Muslims have always been expected to take the first step at least in my mind. We are in many cases the victim and because of the teachings of our religion, we are tolerant and forgiving, but when it really hurts when its touches the lives of people we care about. The case of Marwa is a tragedy by all means but it's not the only one, what about the millions of Palestinian's dying for no good reason. Isn't this a humanitarian issue???? Why are your western governments so concerned about these independent incidents one offs, and avoiding the bigger scheme of things. Why the direction of our attention to an incident and away from a situation???? I always try to simplify things so that my modest brain can absorb it. The reason why Muslims don't have faith or trust in western governments and not necessarily people is that you haven't showed us anything that would have us change our position. Why are we expected to take this huge leap of faith, trusting in your governments while we see our brothers and sisters die, our children orphaned and deprived of their rights to a normal life. We don't want the life style of the west and I mean that in the broadest sense we just want the ability to live in peace, be happy, why can't we SMILE. I would really love to see some of us SMILE again. Anyway, I know I haven't proposed any solutions here simply I don't have one but I guess a step towards the right direction is for western governments to realize that for them to take away the anger and not the hate we do not hate you, we are angry at your hypocrisy is for you to start loving us, accepting us and if you do you would attempt to help us as you do to others who funnily enough are our brothers in religion in a way. This forum is for people who experienced the western culture and have come to know that people like yourself and have grew to care for them. What's annoying is aside from the first hand experiences and the personal relationships, the sheer majority of western nations either don't care or are not aware. They are isolated in their cocoons not knowing why SOME Muslims are angry not hate. We are angry because you do nothing and expect us to accept it. There is a limit to tolerance and forgiveness and I cannot guarantee that all of us would restrain ourselves from violence to protect simply our lives. Takes the son of Marwa, do you expect him to grow up accepting the culture of those who murdered his mother? There is a chance that he would, but there is a much greater chance that he wouldn't. Keep turning you heads the other way and more people would die and generation would grow up with uncontrollable rage that would inevitably erupt into violence.

Posted by Ihab Saleh on July 16, 2009 at 07:16 AM BST #

many egyptians got killed in muslim countries and egyptians never get mad, why is that? is it when a muslims kill a muslim is good but when a non muslim kill a muslim is bad? many Germans got killed by muslims1997 Luxor Massacre but we never saw tolerant german people get mad like this while egyptians got mad like hell when one not even a german killed one egyptian, so is it really the killing thing which made egyptians mad or the tons of hatred egyptians and muslims keep for non muslims?

Posted by The Count of Monte Cristo on July 21, 2009 at 11:07 AM BST #