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In a world where the specter of Islamophobia continues to challenge the fabric of multicultural and multi-faith societies, the 2nd Annual World Conference on Islamophobia, held from March 8-11 in Baku, emerged as a pivotal platform for addressing this pressing issue. The conference, convening on the cusp of Ramadan, the Holy month for Muslims, brought together a diverse group of individuals committed to combating religious intolerance and fostering global peace.
Dr. Jannah Scott, former Deputy Director of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Center at the Department of Homeland Security, representing the ACRF (American Center for Religious Freedom), was honored to participate in this significant event. Her role extended beyond mere participation; she was privileged to moderate an international panel comprising diplomats, scholars, academics, and practitioners. The session, moderated by Dr. Scott, featured Dr. Mahmut Erol Kılıç, Dr. Waqaruzzaman Azmi, Mr. Oussama Ali Jammal, Assoc. Prof. Yashar Çolak, Mr. Elshad Iskandarov, Dr. Baptiste Brodard, and Prof. Mr. Bülent Aras. The discourse that unfolded over four days was both enlightening and imperative for the ongoing battle against discrimination based on faith.
The leadership of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev played a central role in the success of the conference. His initiative in convening such an important gathering underscored Azerbaijan's commitment to promoting religious freedom and harmony among different faiths. A clear message resonated with conference attendees from over 25 nations.
The event was hosted by several key organizations that are at the forefront of promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding. The Baku International Multiculturalism Center, known for its efforts in advocating for cultural diversity and integration, provided an ideal backdrop for the discussions. The AIR Center for the Analysis of International Relations brought its expertise in international affairs to the table, offering insights into the geopolitical aspects of Islamophobia. Furthermore, the G20 Interfaith Forum's involvement ensured that the voices of various faith traditions were heard and considered in the quest for solutions.
Throughout the conference, participants engaged in robust discussions, sharing experiences and best practices from their respective countries and communities. It was a unique opportunity for learning and collaboration among those dedicated to eradicating fear and prejudice against Muslims worldwide.
The sessions covered a range of topics, including the media's role in perpetuating stereotypes, legal frameworks to protect religious rights, and educational initiatives to promote understanding. The dialogue was not limited to theoretical analysis; practical steps were proposed to empower individuals and communities to stand against Islamophobia and religious discrimination of all kinds.
CBC TALK
During the conference Dr. Scott had an opportunity to hold a conversation with Anastasia Lorina on the CBC weekly talk which provided valuable insights into Islamophobia’s complex historical and contemporary dimensions. It highlighted the need for informed dialogue, balanced media representation, and constructive engagement between nations to overcome prejudices and build a more inclusive future:
"Azerbaijan's efforts and contributions are not widely recognized among the American public, media or politics."
The Depth of Islamophobia: A Global Concern
Dr. Scott's impressions from the International Conference on Islamophobia were a mix of discouragement and hope. She expressed gratitude to the sponsors and noted the diverse representation at the event, emphasizing its importance as a platform for education on Islamophobia's global impact. Dr. Scott traced the origins of Islamophobia back to the 1500s, highlighting that fear of the "other" has marginalized Muslims for centuries. She pointed out that ignorance about Islam and its followers is the breeding ground for such fear.
Historical Perspectives and Modern Implications
The conversation shifted to historical perspectives on Islamophobia, where Dr. Scott mentioned a session that explored its roots dating back to the 1500s. She identified a critical turning point in recent history: the "clash of civilizations" theory posited by U.S. diplomat Sam Huntington after the Cold War. This idea suggested that future conflicts would be based on religious and cultural differences rather than political or economic ideologies. Dr. Scott lamented how this theory influenced American mindset, particularly following the tragic events of 9/11 and during subsequent military campaigns.
Islamophobia in the United States: A Changing Landscape
Dr. Scott reflected on her tenure as a deputy director in the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, noting a marked shift in government approach toward Muslims post-9/11. President Obama's outreach to Muslim nations and communities contrasted with his predecessors' policies. However, she acknowledged that subsequent administrations have swung like a pendulum, with President Trump's controversial "Muslim ban" exacerbating Islamophobia and President Biden's more open yet indirect approach.
Azerbaijan's Role and Perception
The dialogue then turned to Azerbaijan's position on the international stage and its relationship with the United States. Dr. Scott observed that Azerbaijan's efforts and contributions are not widely recognized among the American public, media or politics. She called for more visibility and balanced storytelling to ensure both sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict are heard, particularly in U.S. Congress.
The Impact of U.S. Presidential Elections on Islamophobia
As Anastasia Lorina pointed out, the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential elections could significantly influence Islamophobia based on who wins—President Biden or former President Trump. Dr. Scott opined that either candidate could improve conditions for Muslims with the right advisors, emphasizing that policies and rhetoric shape public perception.
People-to-People Diplomacy: A Path to Peace
Dr. Scott passionately advocated for People-to-People diplomacy to foster understanding and peace between nations like Azerbaijan and Armenia. She stressed the importance of involving young people in dialogue and exchange programs to learn from each other's cultures and religions.
The conclusion of the conference coincided with the beginning of Ramadan, a sacred time of reflection, prayer and community for Muslims. This timing served as a poignant reminder of the importance of the discussions that had taken place. It was a call to action for all to carry forward the spirit of cooperation and empathy into their work against Islamophobia.
VIDEO:
Outline
Islamophobia and its impact on society.
Dr. Jannah Scott attributes Islamophobia's persistence to historical factors dating back to the 1500s.
Sam Huntington's theory of the clash of civilizations has contributed to the marginalization of Muslims in the US and globally.
Former US Deputy Director of Homeland Security shares experiences on Islamophobia and government relations in the US and Azerbaijan.
The importance of people-to-people exchanges to promote understanding and empathy between cultures and religions.
US politics, Islamophobia, and Azerbaijan-Armenia relations.
Analysts predict improved Islamophobia situation with right advisors, regardless of President election outcome.
TRANSCRIPT:
Anastasia Lorina 0:13
Hello, welcome to CBC weekly talk. My name is Anastasia Lorina. And today we have a very special guest from the United States of America, Dr. Janice Scott, who is the founder and director of the American Center for religious freedom. Warren, welcome to specifically talk. Thank you. Thank you so much. So you are one of the participants of the International Conference on Islamophobia, titled embracing diversity, tackling Islamophobia in 2024? Yes, let's start our conversation with a simple question. What are your impressions from this event?
Dr. Jannah Scott 0:44
Well, first and foremost, I would like to thank the President of Azerbaijan. The Honorable Ilham Aliyev and my colleagues at the Baku international Multicultural Center, the analysis Institute, and others who sponsored this phenomenal event. It brought together scholars, researchers, academics, practitioners, from all over the world, there had to be at least 20 or 25 nations represented here. And I found even as it's still going on, the opportunity to learn so much about the depths of Islamophobia around our world. While that was very discouraging to me to hear that this is going on. I think this is such an important platform for people to understand what's happening.
Anastasia Lorina 1:40
And it during two days, you had a chance to speak about the Islamophobia in 2024. But this is a problem which exists for decades, I will say, and unfortunately, we see the growing dynamic. So your personal opinion, what is the main reason for this?
Dr. Jannah Scott 1:59
It's interesting, because I just I was in a session that talked about the historical perspectives on Islamophobia, going back even to the 1500s. So this has been going on for centuries. And the basis of it has to do with the way that people think about the other. You know, the word of phobia means fear, you know, that. And fear breeds? Well, Ignorance breeds fear. And so this fear that people have of Islam really comes from a place of not knowing anything about the religion, the people nothing. And so that has been the basis of pushing people out to the margins of society since the 1500s. Now, more recently, in the United States and my own country, in 1993, a theory was espoused by a US diplomat, Sam Huntington espoused the theory of the clash of civilizations. After World War Two, he was saying, or after the Cold War, he was saying that wars would no longer be fought over military, economic ideologies, political ideologies. But instead, wars would be fought over religion and culture. He put that idea into the hearts and minds of people. And I'm sad to say that the US government allowed that kind of ideology to be espoused by a diplomat, because it became the mindset of many people. So then you have 911. And of course, President Bush at the time, used the very term, this is the clash of civilizations. And so he took what Huntington said, and made whatever happened in 911, not just about 18 individuals, but about Christianity and Islam. Very sad. And then he used it further, when he talked about Iraq and the aluminum tubes, and the American people got caught up in that mindset. It's very sad. This is something that we must free ourselves of the ignorance about the religion of Islam, because that ignorance has bred fear or phobia.
Anastasia Lorina 4:37
I know that you have a great experience. So work on the official position. You served in the Obama administration as a deputy director in the United States Department of Homeland Security. That's a great experience. You're no longer can speak as an official person, but I would like to know about your experience of work from That time, how the situation in the United States around Islamophobia changed.
Dr. Jannah Scott 5:09
My experience as a former government official, was probably the most eye opening experience of my life. When it comes to learning about Islamophobia in my country. Of course, after 911, we knew that Muslims were being harassed, they were being beat up some even killed, unfortunately. And when President Obama came in, he came in under the shadow of those two wars that had been started because of Islamophobia. Very first thing he did, he went to Al Azhar University in Egypt. And he said, we, as Americans, from a national security perspective, need to establish a new era of partnerships with Muslim nations, as well as with Muslims in our country. So my job was very much involved with engaging Muslims in my country, and then a few other countries, including Azerbaijan, and successful Yeah, yes. And also being able to get Americans to understand and to get them educated about Muslims, because it takes both sides, you know, we can reach our hands out to say, be my partner, but we also must educate our own people.
Anastasia Lorina 6:35
Indeed, you touched already Azerbaijan. And for me, it's very interesting to understand the situation in your country in the United States. As you rightly mentioned, during the presidency of Obama, the relations were developing quite successful, but still, within the last decades, we can see some troubles appearing. So what is the main reason for that? How people and the government administration, the United States, I would like to divide the question, when we speak about the people's population and the government, how do they understand the situation in my country in Azerbaijan,
Dr. Jannah Scott 7:11
so governmentally in the Bush administration, I think all Muslim countries were seen as countries of particular concern. During the Obama administration, that changed. But then with those subsequent president, President Trump, you remember, he established a what he called a Muslim ban. And that was very unfortunate number one, that he called it that, because it was a ban against people traveling from certain countries, it should never have been called a Muslim ban, because then Americans started seeing Muslims as a banned population. And that's when things went down. I think as President Biden has come into office, he hasn't been especially direct in his approach to Muslims. But he has been more open, his administration has been more open. Unfortunately, with the events of October 7, the media in the United States has also kind of position that as a Muslim Jew conflict. And so many Americans are seeing the Palestinians as the enemy, which is sad. But in the younger populations, particularly on the university campuses, the young people are rising up. And they're saying, No, we're all humans. And so what I always feel in my heart, Anastasia, is that we have an opportunity with the younger generations, to get them to think more broadly, more humanely, to see the dignity in each other, and to have more people to people interactions, and that's what's going to make the change, because our government goes like this. It's like a pendulum, you know, depending on who's president, Muslims, good Muslim, bad Muslims, good muscle that is crazy at the government level, but at the People to People level. That's why I want to bring young people to Azerbaijan, and from Azerbaijan and from Azerbaijan to the United States so that young people can get to know one another. And they can begin to learn of each other's ways. Each other's cultures, each other's religion, each other's country. Right now. I say to people, I'm going to Azerbaijan, many people say where is that? So they don't look down on Azerbaijan. They Just don't know where it is.
Anastasia Lorina 10:02
So they just follow the information provided in the media. If there is anything about Azerbaijan, I'm not sure if it's always covered the situation properly, then they start to analyze the situation. If not, they even don't care about that. You have presidential elections. So this year 2024. And we see how the talks are going around two main figures, its President Biden, and Donald Trump, former president, of course, and it's quite interesting to see how they prefer to fight each other in the media. And they have totally different understanding of the situation when it comes to migration issues when it comes to the situation in Ukraine and Russia, Middle East and etc. Overall, we know that Trump is more willing to have a neutral position result and your war without any investment outside, he's a good businessman. And when it comes to President Biden, he's willing to have United States in each part of the world. So do you think that from the decision made by Americans this year, the situation with Islamophobia also will be changed? If
Dr. Jannah Scott 11:14
President Trump is reelected, I think the situation for Muslims related to Islamophobia, if he gets the right advisors with him, it could be good for Muslims to like you, yeah. That he's got to get the right advisors, people who know about the Islam and about the Muslim people. If he gets the wrong advisors, like he had last time, some wrong advisors, who told him to call that a Muslim ban. Whoever told him that that person should not be another advisor to him, If President Biden wins, because you noticed something very interesting. You said Biden wants us to be all over the world. He is a career politician. So he will act more like a politician, whereas former President Trump will act more like a businessman. And so I think in either side, the condition of Islamophobia can improve if they have the right advisors.
Anastasia Lorina 12:31
But what about the simple population, the people as an immediate we can read that many people are opposed to the current American policy, the sending the weapons to Ukraine, or to the Middle East, they're willing to have more neutral position, therefore, they are somehow more Trump oriented people. But there is a still part who are not willing to have Trump as a president as they don't like his and practicability. Like you say, you do not know what to expect from this guy.
Dr. Jannah Scott 13:03
Well, I think a lot of people who, like President Biden are concerned about his age, because he's getting older now. I think people who like President Trump are who are concerned about him. It's more so not what he does. But how he speaks it. You know, so it's not so much his policies, but it's how he speaks about it.
Anastasia Lorina 13:33
How he presents? Yeah, yeah. About his future politics. Yeah.
Dr. Jannah Scott 13:38
And that's why I think good advisors can really help him.
Anastasia Lorina 13:42
Right? Yeah, I'm coming back to Azerbaijan. After Obama, during the presidency of Trump. It's the situation is clear for me. But now we have President Biden in the United States. And again, we can see some difficulties appear in the bilateral relations. You say that people in America are not that much interested in my country and that much. Actually, they don't know about Azerbaijan and the significant role my country plays on a global scale. No, I don't your personal opinion, how we can change the situation from the political perspectives. And what is the key problem? The reason for that problems we have some times.
Dr. Jannah Scott 14:27
One of the things I recall, is your President meeting with President Trump. I believe that when there was a time when Armenia and Azerbaijan were still kind of at it, and I don't think it was a personal meeting. It may have been a phone call or something but President Trump spoke to both of them to ask for reconciliation. And I think that your president is doing some phenomenal things. But there has to be greater visibility of it, whether it's on AlJazeera, or on CNN, or whether it's in academic circles in the United States. The one thing I do say, though, is that we have this issue with the Armenian diaspora in the United States, and their political power with US Congress, not so much with the President, but with the congressional people. And so we have to get proper information to congressional leaders about what exactly happened, and what the future can be. Because the Armenians, unfortunately, are telling only one side of the story. And we have to have both sides of the story told for the entire truth to be detailed. So I think that's going to be important, is more visibility, about what your country is doing in the global sphere, but also more conversation about Armenia and Azerbaijan, both sides. My prayer, Anastasia, has been that the young people can begin to come together and dialogue and figure out a way forward, the war is over. The territorial sovereignty of Azerbaijan has been redeemed, we need to close the door on that and look to the future. And our young people are the future. Your president is still very young, his wife, his daughter, many of the people in Azerbaijan are very young. We have to begin to get the young people together to talk about what is our future going to look like, and not be so tied up in unforgiveness about what happened in the past. I know that's very hard to hear. But as I want to tell you just very briefly, as an African American woman, my people went through over 400 years of enslavement by the United States. But we could not stay in the place of being upset about that. We had to break the chains of unforgiveness and begin to walk forward. And that's what my prayer for Azerbaijan is. You're doing great things. Why doesn't the world know about you?
Anastasia Lorina 17:49
That's a good question. You know, and I'm more than sure that you're aware, since the end of the war in 2020, Azerbaijan presented the document, calling for necessity to sign the peace agreement between two countries without peace, it's impossible to be the great future. Azerbaijan itself was developed country, we have its own infrastructure, but the conditional border with Armenia still closed. That's why there is a five principles on the paper presented by its original site, saying that we need to have these agreements, three and a half year past and still we see that Armenian government is not ready. We see the intervention of some policymakers to the situation in the regional like, for example, France. But as situations are very complicated, sometimes it's Germany, sometimes even the United States, I mean, not from the presidents or presidential side, but it's more from the sight of different single people, congressmen, senators who are trying to give the help to Armenia Yeah, some circle there, that this is how you should behave, no need for peace, yes, you should revenge you should fight. And if there is another war, so they asked for that leave in the United States or any other country will not come to the region to fight. They will stay there. They believe in Los Angeles and Washington. They will enjoy their life while people will be killed here in the region. Yes, so we must hold a stop to the patient days. I agree with you that people are young generation can play a great role, but what and how we can deal with those who are not willing to see the peaceful development and who have the power to influence the policymakers in Armenia.
Dr. Jannah Scott 19:38
One of the problems in the United States with our politicians is that they depend on money to get reelected. And unfortunately, you have a lot of people in our in United States who support Armenia, because the diaspora gives money to the poor electricians, people in America need to start speaking up about that. There's a quote by Dr. King, Dr. Martin Luther King. He said, The worst thing is for when people who not so much when people who are oppressed, but when people who see the oppression remain silent. And so Americans need to begin to speak up about this. That's why my work in conjunction with the Baku international multiculturalism center of bringing dialogue sessions together, of having one on one conversations, of doing interviews, and holding town halls and forums is going to be more and more important in the days to come. We've got to get people to understand what exactly is happening. So then they can begin to speak to their elected officials and say no more of this, this is wrong.
Anastasia Lorina 21:01
So what you're saying is that the United States still can play a constructive role in a dialogue between two countries in the region.
Dr. Jannah Scott 21:11
As I said, I do I believe the people of the United States in particular People to People diplomacy, it can make a big difference. And citizens of the United States, holding their elected officials accountable for the kinds of things that are being said, for example, in my own state, I'm requesting a meeting with the Speaker of our legislature, who made some bad comments. He does not know about Azerbaijan, he's only heard from one side. He hasn't heard from the other side yet. So I want to sit down with him. And whoever's advising him on the Armenian side, to say we really need to look at this carefully. You can't just make these blanket statements, you've not even been to Azerbaijan. Same thing with some of the NGOs in the United States who are promoting Armenia, over Azerbaijan. One, in particular, is the International Religious Freedom Summit, where they have spoken about Azerbaijan and Armenia. In a way that's not helpful. And I've been calling them to account to say you need to come to Azerbaijan, you need to see what's happening here, before you just continue to speak against the nation.
Anastasia Lorina 22:42
Therefore really talking with you, I think that there is a real possibility for for the better future that we can make all together. And just to conclude our discussion today, so share with us the information about the plans you have for the future within the work. In your organization, where you're the director and the founder, you're doing a great job, I can see your tried to break the stereotypes, you try to promote information. And I think not only about my country, but Azerbaijan, but overall about situation in the world with the that the world is changing, it will never be the same as it was before. We know about two global changes we observe today. And still there will be the worse there will be the conflicts we cannot solve them all in one day. Therefore, what do you think it's important to work on within your job vision, your responsibilities, to rank may be small, but the changes that will affect the population in many countries.
Dr. Jannah Scott 23:45
I take from my faith tradition, as a follower of Jesus, the story of Nehemiah. And there are seven principles very quickly that Nehemiah story lays out. The first one is that for anybody who has a faith tradition, whether it's Islam, Christianity, whatever faith traditions here, we must pray for the peace of these nations. That's number one. We got to hear from God about what to do. Number two, we have to document what's happening. Nehemiah, he saw the wall broken down, and he wrote about it. And number three, we have to take it to the authorities. Nehemiah took his report to the king tears in his eyes to say what can we do? Leader King, one in authority? We must take these reports to people in power in these various countries. Number four, we say to the king, what do we need to make change? We need your letters. We need resources. We need you to speak to the people pool so that they can come along. Five, the people are gathered to help. Six, we ask for very creative strategies, like student exchanges, like congressional forums, like opportunities at the universities to present information, like kitchen table conversations with women from both countries, creative strategies on how can we make change. And then seven, we take it back to prayer. We say God, we know you can do it. When I was here in 2016, I saw a map of Nagorno Karabakh region. I said to my colleagues, let's pray for the region to be brought back to Azerbaijan. Four years later, the region was returned. Now we're four years on, the war has ceased. Now we still have to pray for peace. And for the next generations what we do today, Anastasia will have reverberating effects. I may not see it. I'm 70. I may not see it. But the young people will see it in the days to come.
Anastasia Lorina 26:22
But what you can do you can also speak about the recovery. Yeah, we've seen liberated lands today. Yeah, how shisha is being rebuilt?
Dr. Jannah Scott 26:34
Yes, how Aghdam to go CT, Hiroshima of the Caucasus is being stored. And I look forward to seeing that tomorrow.
Anastasia Lorina 26:38
How many mosques were destroyed there during the occupation that even destroy the church?
Dr. Jannah Scott 26:43
Yes, this is part of the reports. When I see social tomorrow, I'm taking mental and physical notes. So when I go back to United States, I have the reports to share with those in authority. This is what's happening here. Because they don't know. And they're just speaking without knowledge. And that's why you see the phobias, right, so we can beat that we can beat that together. I believe that. It's great.
Anastasia Lorina 27:14
Thank you. Thank you so much for joining my program today. It was a real pleasure to talk with you.
Dr. Jannah Scott 27:20
Great pleasure for me too, thank you. Thank you.
Anastasia Lorina 27:24
Just to remind you watch CBC weekly talk. My name is Anastasia Lorina. Stay with us as soon as next edition.
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