Dean of GU-Q, Dr. Safwan Masri addressing the conference.
Doha, Qatar: Islamophobic attitudes and stigmas that emerged during Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup were among the discussions on the second day of ‘Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia,’ conference by Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q).
Under the theme ‘Qatar, the World Cup, and Islamophobia,’ a panel of senior journalists and academics analysed the negative patterns of Western media coverage with the swell of Islamophobic attitudes and colonial stereotypes before and during the mega-event.
“The number of long form pieces, newspaper articles, book chapters, books themselves that appeared in the years before the events, describing not the possibility of the tournament but on focusing on the customs practices, laws and general makeup of Qatari society which completely overshadowed a number of articles attempting to analyse the tournament and supporting activities,” said Associate Professor at Qatar University, Dr.Thomas Ross Griffin.
He was joined by Multi-platform Sports Journalist, Shireen Ahmad, Tony Karon, Al Jazeera Media Network and others.
Different panelists also discussed on topics including ‘Islamophobia and the Global War on Terror’ and ‘Constructing the Narrative: Islamophobia and the Media’.
The two-day conference on ‘Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia’ was held as the second of GU-Q’s Hiwaraat conference series.
Prominent voices against Islamophobia including scholars, activists, policymakers, and journalists were engaged in insightful conversations, posed critical questions, and explored the intellectual roots of Islamophobia. Panelists also offered responses to counter enduring anti-Islamic sentiment across major public platforms around the world.
“Our host country, Qatar, has taken the lead with a global initiative to address global racism, including anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia. The broad multifaceted efforts include education, public dialogue, policy-making, and convening of experts and policymakers to facilitate collective action,” said Dean of GU-Q, Dr. Safwan Masri in his closing remarks.
“Our conference has been a contribution to the efforts to call attention to Islamophobia and respond to it, challenge its destructive impact, and engage the impactful work of activists, educators, and artists,” he added.
A special focus of the two-day conference addressed Islamophobia on university campuses. Alongside the main discussions, there were interactive workshops where students and community members engaged with activists and artists who are at the forefront of combating Islamophobia.
A student-led forum, in coordination with GU-Q Student Affairs and relevant student clubs, addressed what universities have been doing and should continue doing, to combat Islamophobia and its impact on their campuses.
The next conference in GU-Q’s Hiwaraat Conference Series will be ‘Confronting the Impasse: Doha Symposium on Afghanistan and the Region,’ to be held on November 10-11. It will be followed by ‘Sustaining the Oasis: Envisioning the Future of Water Security in the Gulf’ from November 12 to 13.
