Sometimes hate crimes fail to provoke the anger of their victims. This is especially true when perpetrators are ignorant or their targets’ beliefs and victims are unaware of the intended offense.
Shortly after moving to Floyds Knobs, Indiana, Zane Sharma’s son informed him that they had received a batch of cooked bacon in their mailbox, reports WHAS 11 ABC.
“I look at my wife and I say, ‘Bacon, what does that mean?” recounted Sharma.
After confirming the presence of the curious gift for himself, Sharma set out to figure out the meaning behind the act. After consulting with his friends online, it seemed to him that the most likely purpose of the bacon was to mock Islam, which prohibits the consumption of pork.
The insult was ultimately unsuccessful at intimidating Sharma who is not a Muslim, but a Christian Indian who immigrated to the United States in 2009.
“They think because of your color, maybe, or your look, for them, you are like a Muslim,” said Sharma.
The family put a sign outside their house to reply to their new correspondents. It said, ‘Thank you for the bacon, join us next time for dinner.”
Another misinformed man was likely attempting to anger Muslims in Long Island, New York when he left a large image of Jesus outside an Islamic center, according to Mic.
“Had he had good intentions, he would have come to us,” said Abdul Aziz Bhuyian, the mosque’s president.
The Council of American Islamic Relations’ New York (CAIR-NY) chapter is looking to use this incident as an opportunity to correct misconceptions about Islam.
Jesus is mentioned 187 times in the Quran as a respected prophet. In fact, the teachings from the prophets in Christianity and Judaism are all adhered to in Islam. Chapter 2 and Verse 136 in the Quran says:
“We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him.”
As is the case with Muhammad, Muslims also say “peace be upon him” when mentioning Jesus’ name. The chief distinction regarding Jesus is that in Islam, he is not viewed as the son of God, but as a prophet who obtained his divine abilities through God’s help.
A 2017 report by CAIR-NY found that hate crimes against Muslims in New York increased by 560% in 2016. A surge in crime was recorded shortly after President Trump’s election.
Although Islamaphobia is on the rise, targeted individuals have demonstrated resilience, humor, and a willingness to educate their assailants.
While it shouldn’t be these victims’ responsibilities to help their assailants understand their wrongdoings, their peaceful and proactive responses are invaluable to dispelling misunderstandings about Muslims in the United States.
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Misinformed Perpetrators of Hate Crimes Fail to Anger Targets
