Islamophobia is rising dramatically. It is a huge concern that needs to be addressed.

MOBILIZING AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA 

Islamophobia and xenophobic discrimination are, sadly, a part of the daily lives of millions of Muslims in Western countries. Although this is partly grounded in socio-political and cultural aspects, the main reason is the ignorance and lack of knowledge about Islam among a majority of the Western population. Media outlets shoulder, in this sense, a heavy responsibility in disseminating biased information against Muslims.

Since the attacks in Paris a few months ago, the situation has sharply deteriorated and the number of anti-Muslim incidents has soared: attacks on mosques, racist slogans and stabbings… At the same time, far-right parties and groups are gaining support by trying to exacerbate the existing tensions.

We need to mobilize against this!

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL WEBSITE TO FIGHT ISLAMOPHOBIA

We are resolved to launch the first international bilingual website (English/Spanish) that goes beyond reporting anti-Muslim acts. Our website will not be an observatory that systematically documents islamophobic acts (for that purpose, there are already several other platforms). We will select landmark cases and dismantle them through well-researched objective information and historical and current data that highlight the deep cultural ties between Western and Muslim countries. We will also provide Muslims with strong discursive tools against bigoted speeches. For this purpose, we will we need to create our own content – high quality, goal-oriented and as viral as possible –.

Our website ‘Twist Islamophobia’ will include the following sections, which will be regularly updated:

• SUGGEST: there are many good practices out there that deserve greater diffusion
• TEACH: educational tools, intercultural and cross-cultural materials, read-between-the-lines kit…
• MULTIMEDIA: all together under one rubric
• YOU: we will build a network of international contributors that adds contents and helps disseminating them

Our main goal with this campaign is to build coexistence in the West and to ensure the participation of Muslims in society. It is imperative to promote a correct understanding of Islam and Islamic culture. As Cherif Abderrahman Jah – humanist and Chairman of the Islamic Culture Foundation – asserts, we like to think of our work with this website as taking an ice block under the sun:  hatred against Islam and Muslims melts with rigorous information and counter-arguments. The collective consciousness needs to change, and that requires a twist!

30 YEARS BUILDING COEXISTENCE

We are the Islamic Culture Foundation, a non-profit organisation with over 30 years of experience facilitating Euro-Islamic dialogue (www.funci.org). In 1991, we were the main promoters of the Recommendation 1162 of the Council of Europe on ‘The contribution of the Islamic civilisation to European Culture’. This text is still today one of the main references for interculturality in Europe. In 2003, faced with the increase of islamophobia in Europe in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, we launched the first international manifesto against islamophobia.

Our approach towards anti-Muslims discourses and acts links with the al-Andalus heritage as an example of a society with a relatively high degree of cohabitation. This positioning gives us the legitimacy to embark on this project at an international level.

As a way to maintain our independence, we have always searched for funds for each individual project. The terrible economic crisis in Spain compels us to search for financial support outside the country. However, this crowdfunding opportunity is much more than that!

WHERE THE FUNDS WILL GO

We plan to host the website as a subdomain of our own website (www.funci.org). We will assume the costs for the hosting and maintenance. The amount requested would allow us to hire a half-time (25 hours/week) journalist/content editor and to work with freelancers for video production and web design for the first year. After that time, we will have consolidated the website as an international reference in the issue and we will be able to access to other sources of financial support. Sustainability of the project is assured! 

If you have any question about this web project or about any other matter, please contact us at: info@funci.org

+34 91 543 4673