Why Is Islam Feared?

In Australia, attitudes towards Islam cannot be separated from the history of migration, the social and ethnic composition of Muslim communities, and the politics of global confl ict. In this context, racism, particularly in the form of cultural racism, joins and is voiced as disapproval of morality. Such negative views are widespread in media, academic, and government texts (Goodall and Jakubowicz 1994; Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 2004). Internationally, negative stereotyping of Islam and Muslims has been linked to the fi rst Gulf War, the war in Iraq, September 11, and other terrorist attacks. Poynting notes the increase in assaults on people of “Middle Eastern appearance,” women wearing the hijab and men wearing “Islamic garb” after the outbreak of the fi rst Gulf War (Poynting 2002). Women and girls emerged as the most frequent targets. At the same time there was an increase in arson, vandalism and threats of assault directed towards the newly discovered “enemy within.” Poynting points to the role of tabloid media, in particular talk-back radio, in whipping up racist sentiments at this time, and in a similar way after September 11 (with a similar increase in racist incidents). A discourse joining Arab-Muslim-Terrorist worked to join the terms Gang-Rapist-Arab-Muslim by the same means, particularly in Sydney, following a series of sexual assaults in Bankstown (Poynting 2002, 44). Concern about Middle Eastern asylum seekers, particularly in the course of the 2001 Federal election campaign contributed to distrust, fear, and the emergence of racist discourses. In these instances politicians joined with powerful talkback personalities and columnists to create a sense of moral panic. This process highlights the fact that the media is primary source of information on Islam (not the Koran or direct contact) and what it stands for (Brasted 2001). The economic, historical and religious diversity of some sixty Muslim countries are rarely represented in media accounts. © H je lm , T itu s, M ay 1 1, 2 01 1, R el ig io n an d So ci al P ro bl em s

Abstract. Mosque is a sacred place for daily worship, a symbol of sacred and spiritual space. Architects throughout the history of Islam have always been trying in a variety of approaches to induce this concept i.e. sacredness to their audience and prayers. Sacred art signifies the nature and realization of a sort of divine quality in the realm of art. Islamic art is realized and understood based on a profound understanding of scared art as the center and heart of traditional arts. The architects of mosques, in the past and present have been trying to give spirit and sacredness to the physical structure of a mosque. Since there were religious constrains which limited the expression of its conceptual themes, Muslim architects made great efforts in transferring their intended concepts through simplified floral designs, calligraphy and color in their best possible forms while giving spiritual spirit to its physical space. In this study, the sacred art is analyzed through browsing the reference books and library documents using descriptive-analytical method and its status in the Shi'a mosques are studied. The existence of such a sacred architecture on earth indicates the transcendental meditation of past architects and the celestial links of architecture. The findings of this study believe that Islamic art is the manifest of the sacred in both form and content and the essential identity of anything. Spiritual identity is nothing other than the manifest of celestial belief which gives a divine form to the behavior and insight of humans. Hence, sacred architecture is a part of sacred art, image and reflection of the order and unity which is dominant in the world of being.

The term “terrorism” is normally applied to activities of small and scattered groups who pursue their goals with fanaticism and press their political and religious agenda by the force of fear and insecurity. There are also states that sponsor terrorism. However, whether a major country such as the United States can be labeled a terrorist country is not often addressed. A few writers on the left have explored that notion. They claim that the United States' militarism abroad is similar to what terrorist groups do. Moreover, most terrorists, from the Islamic fundamentalists of the Middle East to the right-wing assassins of Latin America, are products of U.S. imperial policies. Osama bin Laden was groomed by the CIA, as were Manuel Noriega of Panama and Roberto D'Aubuisson of El Salvador.