APROPOS the letter ‘Islamophobia’ (Dec 5), the writer has rightly mentioned some reasons for Islamophobia in the Western world. I would like to add by mentioning here the constant propaganda the Western media unleash to demonise Islam and Muslims.

Initially, during and post-Israel war of 1967 with Egypt, Syria and Jordan, the Western media, being an ally and patron of Israel, used to portray Arabs as religious fundamentalists, violent terrorists, misogynists and backward radical stingers.

But post-Sept 11, the Western media’s portrayal of Arabs metamorphosed. It then tremendously and started spewing venom against all Muslims and Islam, and thus, succeeded to greater extent in promoting the perception that all Muslims are terrorists and Islam is a war-mongering religion.

Today, on the one hand, Islamophobia is at its peaks, the irony on the other hand is that the most war-ravaged swathes of lands belong to Muslims and most people dying are Muslims – be it Syria, Kashmir, Palestine, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iraq or Yemen.

Zahid Ali Zohri
Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2019