#DearWesternMuslimActivists: Where Are Your Hashtags for Injustices in Muslim-Majority Countries?

I’ve been long frustrated at lack of acknowledgement amongst Muslim activists in the West about the injustices perpetrated in the name of Islam (to both Muslims and non-Muslims) in Muslim-dominant countries such as Malaysia. The Western activists seem to be more concerned with denouncing stereotypes and fighting for their right to practice their faith however they want. Which is great! And necessary work!

But I wish they’d also speak up against the ways that Islam is being used as justification for harming and discriminating against people, both Muslims and non-Muslims, in places where Islam is the dominant religion (or at least a significant one). Here are some examples I will pull from Malaysia, since that’s the country I’m most familiar with:

…I could go on, and get personal even, but then it gets depressing. Even the former law minister says that Malaysia’s brand of Islam is just as violent as ISIS, and he has a point.

There are plenty of people, especially Muslim activists, fighting for change in the country — Sisters in Islam is one such amazing Muslim feminist organisation. However, so much of their work goes unnoticed by Western Muslim activists, possibly because it could break the carefully created image of Islam as gentle and peaceful.

This is not to say that Islamophobia is somehow warranted; none of this is meant to decry the work of Western Muslim activists or say that their claims are unfounded. But if they’re going to denounce ISIS and the Taliban, I wish they would also denounce the authorities in places like Malaysia that are causing great injustice, and stand in solidarity with the Muslims and non-Muslims that are affected.

We’ve had #MuslimApologies, #NotYourTerrorist, and #NotYourStockMuslim; what kind of pithy Twitter hashtag will be used to speak up against injustice perpetrated in Muslim-dominant countries?

UPDATE: #DearWesternMuslimActivists is now a hashtag, though engagement is still small. We are getting support from the Ex-Muslim community who have spoken about their challenges with getting support from progressive Muslims despite having spoken up against anti-Muslim bigotry.

Originally published at notyourexrotic.tumblr.com.