Islamophobia in the West: A scourge we must confront

 

In the past year, the United States, Canada and other Western countries have experienced a sharp rise in Islamophobia. Increasingly, Islamophobes are resorting to violence to oppress members of a religion they do not understand.

To explore the nature of the threats confronting Muslims today, Dimitri Lascaris spoke with Qasim Rashid, a former Democratic Party candidate for the United States Congress. Rashid has been subjected to frequent anti-Muslim smears, including death threats that led to a criminal conviction.

Rashid is a human rights lawyer and author who served as a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Islamic Studies program. He has published numerous books and law review articles. His work has been published by the The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today.