Al-Aqsa Storm, Islam’s new image in Europe
By Abed Akbari
European affairs expert
The recent events surrounding Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the developments in the Gaza Strip have presented a different image of Islam than what European media had previously portrayed. Despite extensive efforts by media sympathetic to Zionists in Europe to tarnish the image of Islam and unleash an Islamophobic wave, the prevailing narrative of the Gaza war has not only neutralized these poisonous efforts but has also contributed to a positive change in the European public’s perception of Islam.
The rushed and exaggerated anti-Muslim narratives and caricatures provided by European media in recent weeks that victimized Jews in Europe have even sparked serious criticisms within European media communities.
The German television network Deutsche Welle, which had previously broadcast reports on the educational problems of Jewish children in Germany after Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, released a report claiming that four Muslim students in the city of Neuss in North Rhine-Westphalia intended to enforce strict Islamic laws in school. The media presented this as a harsh interpretation of Islamic Sharia that, for example, obliges Muslim women to wear the Islamic hijab, segregates genders in swimming classes, and allows Muslim students to leave school early to participate in Friday prayers. However, this narrative caused a media uproar and was later proven baseless by the German police and intelligence agencies.
In France, which has recently become the epicenter of Islamophobia in Europe, the situation has been similar. Following Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, Islamophobia in France has been intertwined with a Zionist narrative and racism, where being Muslim is now considered akin to belonging to a specific race. A French analyst explained that these days, if someone in France converts to Islam without disclosing it, they may not face discrimination; however, if someone has an Islamic name or a Middle Eastern appearance, they will face discrimination even if they don’t identify themselves as Muslim. As the head of the French Committee on Justice and Freedom stated, Islamophobia in the country has become a systemic problem and has, in fact, been engrained into the Republic’s DNA.
While Islamophobic actions seem to have been met with mixed responses from French society, it appears that they have led to an alarming increase in hate crimes against Muslims in various parts of England. According to a report from the Community Security Trust charity a few days after Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, incidents related to hate crimes against Muslims in England showed a significant increase. Islamophobic incidence have seen a sixfold rise as well. Muslims in the UK are currently concerned about the safety of their children inside and outside school.
Despite the rise in Islamophobic violence, the repercussions of Operation Al-Aqsa and even the way Palestinian fighters interact with Israeli forces in Gaza have mesmerized the world. The patience, composure, faith, and trust exhibited by the people of Gaza, who are grappling with immense difficulties and the tragic loss of their loved ones and homes, have raised a question in the minds of European citizens: What is behind such calmness and patience? Interestingly, they tend to find the answer to this question in the Islamic beliefs of the oppressed Palestinian people.