Just hours after the devastating fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a series of Islamophobic conspiracy theories surfaced online.
Despite the fact that French authorities did not - at any point - say the fire was a deliberate attack, far-right Islamophobes came creeping in with their vile theories that collectively paint Muslims as terrorists. That distorted rhetoric is proof nobody suffers from terrorism more than Muslims do. Time and again, Muslims have had to justify their existence, whether in light of the involvement of an actual Muslim terrorist, a white supremacist, or accidents such as this tragic one.
But, there are more than one and a half billion Muslims in the world, with the overwhelming majority leading peaceful, non-violent lives. That is the norm. The one terrorist - who in whatever way has links to Islam - is the rare exception. But, Islamophobes refuse to let that sink in.
Soon after the fire, some far-right individuals shared photoshopped images claiming Muslims were "laughing" as the cathedral burst into flames.
More than one image surfaced online with such claims. Putting aside the fact that the photos have been orchestrated, how exactly did these people figure out these individuals' religion? Is it purely based on stereotypical characteristics that automatically categorize a person as Muslim?
It's high-time all Islamophobic narratives and stereotypes disappear.
One-third of the victims during the 2016 Nice attack were Muslim. Did you know that a brave police officer - also a Muslim - died as he attempted to stop the infamous attackers on Charlie Hebdo's Paris office in 2015?
Muslims suffer from terrorism - whether by radical groups at home or white extremists abroad. Muslims suffer from acts of hate, discrimination, and sometimes murder all under the backdrop of their religious beliefs.
Haven't we suffered enough? Nobody blames all white men when one white man commits a heinous act. The recent New Zealand shooting is proof. Why can't it be the same for Muslims?
In the wake of the cathedral fire, numerous individuals on Twitter automatically assumed the blaze was a deliberate attack carried out by a Muslim. They didn't wait till the details of the fire were publicized. They didn't think it was a white extremist. Their Islamophobic minds automatically assumed a Muslim was involved.
As one activist put it:
"Notre Dame fire hasn't even been extinguished yet and the right is already trying to blame it on Muslims, despite it being started by accident during repair work."
But, fake viral photos and videos allowed people to feed off the false narrative. One video claimed Muslims were "chanting Allahu Akbar as Notre Dame Cathedral burns," which BuzzFeed confirmed to be fake.
Apparently, the audio track was taken from Google and added to the video to make it seem like Muslims were celebrating the fire.
Far-right Islamophobes did not spare the world with their unwanted anti-Muslim theories and opinions. InfoWars, a conspiracy outlet led by American far-right radio show host Alex Jones, shared unverified rumors that the fire was deliberately started.
Islamophobia has killed millions around the world. It continues to push individuals and countries to team up against Muslims, including those in France.
Charlie Hebdo, the controversial French satirical magazine, is just one example. It caused a stir multiple times in the past over its anti-Islam cartoons. But, it's more than just magazines. It's restaurants, it's the laws, it's the existing Islamophobic narrative.
A 2018 investigation led by BuzzFeed News revealed that L'Avenue - a renowned restaurant in Paris, France - has a system in place that aims to keep Muslims away.
Four former employees of L'Avenue spoke up regarding the system that was - and still is - implemented at the food establishment in an effort to keep out anyone with "Arabic-sounding names" and veiled women.
The employees claimed the management "routinely instructed them" not to make reservations for Middle Eastern tourists, specifically hijabis who show up without a reservation, BuzzFeed News reports.
In 2011, France initiated the burqa (full-face veil) ban, becoming the first European country to do so. Muslim women of all nationalities would risk a fine if donning a burqa in public spaces. At the time, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said veils "oppress women" and were "not welcome" in France, according to the BBC.
In 2016, France introduced another ban targeting Muslim women and, this time, the "burkini" swimsuits covering the entire body were the center of attention. The ban was later lifted.
The latter was strongly supported by France's far-right leader and ex-presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who has been extremely vocal in fighting against the hijab and burqa in France.
But, that didn't stop Lorette, a town in Central France, from banning full-body swimming suits and headscarves in the town's leisure park.
These all play a role in perpetuating the split between the Muslim community (as if we are the others) and everyone else. It's 2019, don't you think it's time we all become one team fighting against the hate?