For immediate release 5/3/21
World Hijab Day Organization (WHD) launched a new global initiative on April 21, 2021 called ‘International Muslim History Month’, commemorating May 2021 as the first International Muslim History Month. The mission of this initiative is to dismantle Islamophobia globally by celebrating Muslim history.
Worldwide, Islamophobia is at an all-time high from the public sector to the private sector and systematically apparent in the government sector.
Below are some data on Islamophobia from different parts of the world:
- According to the American Muslim Poll 2020, 60 to 62 percent of Muslims face discrimination in the United States of America. This number has been consistent for the last five years.
- 2020 Annual Report of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) revealed that 61% of Muslim students have experienced religious-based bullying. 33% of Muslim students have altered their appearance, behavior, or names to hide the fact that they are Muslims.
- A EU Minorities and Discrimination Survey found that on average one in three Muslim respondents faced discrimination and prejudice in 2017 and 27 percent experienced a racist crime.
- Recent research by the European Network Against Racism shows that Islamophobia can especially impact women. It may impact women in the job market for example.
- In 2019, a widespread mistrust towards Muslims across Europe was found when the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Religion Monitor conducted research. Countries such as Germany and Switzerland reported that Islam was perceived as a threat by every second respondent. Meanwhile, in the UK, two in five share this perception. Islam is often stated to be incompatible with the “west”, and 60 percent of both Spain and France agree. In Austria, one in three doesn’t want to have Muslim neighbors.
- Anti-Muslim prejudice and racism in Germany occurs particularly frequently. A surveyed showed that 52 percent of those asked, found Islam as a threat. That 2019 survey confirmed that the negative perception Muslims remained stable at a high level for 10 years. The number of crimes classified as Islamophobia rose by 4.4% to 950 offences in 2019 according to German police statistics.
- In a 2020 poll, Poland was found to have a strong dislike for not only Muslims in general, but Arabs (usually identified as Muslims), Fifty-five percent of Polish respondents show dislike towards Arabs and have for more than 10 years.
WHD Organization holds the opinion that education and awareness are the source to dismantling hate.
Here’s 37 unique ways to commemorate International Muslim History Month:
1. Post this message on your social media: In honor of International #MuslimHistoryMonth, I would like to recognize the contributions made by Muslims to the world which enriched society. I want Muslims to know that they are safe and welcome in our community. Together, we can dismantle islamophobia by accepting & respecting our differences. WorldHijabDay.com/MuslimHistoryMonth (*Share this message on your social media so others can get involved.)
2. Reach out to government officials to pass resolutions recognizing the month of May as Muslim History Month.
3. Teach Muslim history in depth in history courses.
4. Take a selfie in support of International Muslim History Month holding a sign with the following writing: May is International #MuslimHistoryMonth (name of your country). [Share the selfie on social media with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth & tag @MuslimHistoryMonth.]
5. Students and parents are encouraged to inform educational institutions about International Muslim History Month and request them to acknowledge and commemorate it.
6. Assign students projects relating to Muslim History.
7. Say hello to your Muslim neighbor.
8. Stand against Islamophobia through out the month.
9. Post a selfie with Muslim friend with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth.
10. Show appreciation to a Muslim friend.
11. Organizations can recognize the month by building Muslim history into their programming during the month of May.
12. Support a Muslim business.
13. Donate to a Muslim organization.
14. Spend time with a Muslim elder in your community.
15. Read a book by a Muslim author.
16. Sign up to mentor a Muslim youth in your community or younger co-worker.
17. Call out Muslim discrimination and prejudice in your community.
18. Implement International Muslim History Month in educational syllabus.
19. Contribute an essay or blog about an influential Muslim figure.
20. Ask your local news media to highlight positive stories on Muslims.
21. Request film industry and streaming entertainment service companies like Netflix to produce positive materials on Muslims.
22. Engage in healthy conversations about Muslim history on social media.
23. Read a biography of an influential Muslim figure.
24. Learn about Muslim influencers in your community.
25. Accommodate Muslim employees daily prayer space.
26. Smile at a woman in hijab and make her feel safe.
27. Have a meal with a neighbor.
28. Visit a museum where Muslim History is displayed.
29. Have play dates with your Muslim neighbor’s children.
30. Write about a Muslim family, friend, or neighbor and what they mean to you on social media with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth.
31. Visit a mosque.
32. Volunteer at a Muslim soup kitchen or cause.
33. Write a blog post or a newspaper column in support of Muslims.
34. Offer your seat to a woman in hijab in public transportation.
35. Sit next to a woman in hijab in public transportation.
36. Ask a Muslim questions relating to Islam in order to clear misconceptions.
37. Request museums to display a showroom on Muslim history in May.
Those who are interested in taking part in International Muslim History Month are asked to register here: https://worldhijabday.com/store/imhm-registration/
Promotional materials can be downloaded here: https://worldhijabday.com/store/imhm-promotional-materials/
For more information, visit https://worldhijabday.com/store
For media inquiries, please contact us at info@WorldHijabDay.com