Islamophobia & Antisemitism: Two Sides of the Same Coin

I had never thought of Islamophobia and antisemitism together. It had never crossed my mind that these two ideologies of hate could stem from the same source.

So when I went to Reviving Sisterhood’s workshop on Islamophobia and antisemitism, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

To be honest, I was doubtful that we could talk about Islamophobia and antisemitism in the same conversation. Muslims and Jews are always pitted against each other — it is commonly thought that they hate each other, and I was under the same impression. 

But the workshop revealed the other side of the story, and the reality was in contradiction to what most of us believed.

According to facts and statistics presented by the speakers, Muslims and Jews have very positive feelings toward each other.

In fact, Jews are more likely than any other religious demographic to support Muslims. 

With these facts in mind, we began a discussion of the stereotypes and tropes that surround Muslims and Jews and the relationship between our communities. I was amazed to learn that I had some of the stereotypes regarding Jews in my mind but didn’t realize that they are offensive. This activity further led into a discussion of the difference between stereotypes/tropes used by one who identifies with that community and those used by one who doesn’t. Sometimes, when someone from outside the community draws on a stereotype, it can become much more offensive and hurtful than it would be if the community itself referenced that same stereotype.

The workshop also emphasized the importance of the practice of listening and believing and how it can be used to fight white supremacy. This was not the first time I had heard about listening to others when engaged in social change work, but the emphasis on believing was mentioned multiple times. Believing doesn’t necessarily mean trying to relate to someone’s experience, since every person’s experience is unique to them and their identity. I never realized how important this is even though I have experienced it myself. The workshop reminded me of how devaluing it can be if people who don’t identify with your marginalized identity try to relate with you and your story by comparing their different marginalized identity.

You don’t always have to relate to others to understand their side. You just have to believe and empathize.

The speakers also spent quite some time educating us on the power of solidarity and being there for one another and emphasizing that we can use solidarity to fight white supremacy. They focused on the importance of working with each other to fight the stereotype that Jews and Muslims can never get along. The workshop beautifully portrayed the strength of working together and setting aside differences to focus on our shared humanity. It made me think about my experience with solidarity and how much I was touched and appreciated by someone standing by my side in times where I felt lonely. Even though they didn’t relate to my identity, the act in itself was heartwarming. And that was because of the power of solidarity.