As a Muslim Egyptian living in Canada, I’ve felt uneasy walking around the streets of Toronto the last few days, knowing that Islamophobia and racism are running rampant. I wear my keffiyeh everywhere I go to show my solidarity with Palestinians, but I always see people staring. However, I still feel like I’m doing the bare minimum.
As Arabs and Muslims, we see ourselves in the Palestinians of Gaza as we share similarities between customs, beliefs and cultures.
As a result of horrifying incidents currently unfolding in Palestine, there has been a massive increase in Islamophobia and anti-Arab rhetoric worldwide. According to the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Islamophobia incidents in Canada alone have risen by 1,300% compared to earlier in October.
On Oct. 17, 2023, a school in London, Ont. was graffitied with the words “Kill All Muslims.” Additionally, Western University’s official student newspaper, The Western Gazette, reported a case of a Muslim student being spat on — with the student noting her hijab makes her a “target for discrimination and prejudice.”
Students are being harassed for being Muslim or for calling for peace in Palestine, which is unacceptable. Supporting the people of Palestine and wanting an end to this genocide is not a crime.
Western media has a history of dehumanizing Arabs and Muslims. For as long as I can remember, Muslim men have been vilified in the news, in movies and on our screens like no other group. In movies, they are portrayed as terrorists and barbarians. This has real-world consequences; it fosters discrimination and prejudice.
Genocide is only possible when a group of people has been dehumanized for far too long.
On Oct. 20, 2023, Instagram was caught adding the word “terrorist” to many Palestinian user bios. Labelling Arabs and Muslims as “terrorists” is not a political stance; it’s simply racism. Instagram has also begun shadow-banning and removing accounts of those vocal about the Palestinian genocide, as well as journalists who are on the ground reporting every moment. A place that is supposed to be open for people to share their viewpoints is now censoring Palestinian voices.
Western media has also played a role in the dehumanization of Palestinians. They continue to repeat debunked misinformation that plays into the harmful stereotype of Arabs and Muslims. Zionists have been calling Palestinians “animals,” “barbaric,” and “terrorists” repeatedly. This is not only racist but strips Palestinians of their humanity and justifies ethnically cleansing them from their land.
As an Egyptian Muslim living in Canada, these past few days have felt eerie. I go to sleep anxious and wake up anxious, with tremendous grief for all the Palestinians who continue to be massacred daily.
I am constantly thinking about the people of Palestine. I think of how Palestinians go to sleep not knowing if they will wake up the next day and how they have to write their names on their arms so their bodies can be identified if they get killed.
Everything I look at reminds me of Palestine. I look at myself and think of how helpless I feel right now. I look at the roof over my head, and I think of their collapsed roofs. I look at the food I eat, and I think about the food they don’t have.
Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed, and that doesn’t include those under the rubble not yet found. These aren’t just numbers; they are people. They are daughters, sons, mothers, fathers and grandparents.
I see videos and pictures of dead Palestinian children on my feed, and I think to myself, is this where we are at?
Palestinians have to display their dead children to the world just to prove their suffering is real and that genocide is happening right in front of our eyes. They don’t only have to deal with the grief of their dead loved ones but also with the fact that they must prove their suffering to the world to get an ounce of sympathy.
Sometimes, I find myself scared to speak my opinion because I feel like everyone is ready for me to say the wrong thing so they can justify the killing of thousands of Palestinians. Still, I know my life is privileged, so I will continue to speak up.
When you remain silent, those who are speaking up become a target. Your silence is a sign of weakness. Now that the entire world is aware, they remain mute.
I’ll never forget this; I will never forgive people’s passive participation in this genocide because when you remain silent, you are complicit.