Comment: Islamophobia puts young Muslims off politics Published on: 16 March 2017 Writing for The Conversation, Professor Peter Hopkins and Dr Robin Finlay discuss how prejudice and Islamophobia may be stopping Muslim youths from participating in politics. , and , Muslim youths tend to be portrayed as or potentially extremist. Debates about the , and US president Donald Trump鈥檚 are damaging how the world sees young Muslims today. But the way that Muslim youth are being talked about in the media is only part of the story. That is why we spoke to 35 young Scottish Muslims about how they engage with political debates and stand up for their rights in a positive way. The majority of Muslim youths aged 15 to 27 who took part in participate in public and political life. These young people are challenging the idea that they are a threat, or not interested. Instead, they are eager to engage. However, while there were numerous passionate responses from our study participants, we also found that some young Muslims encounter specific challenges that have the potential to put them off politics. Everyday and racism make public and political participation especially challenging. For some young Muslims, there is a fear that it could leave them open to racist hostility. Moreover, Islamophobia makes some anxious about appearing overly politicised. Some young Muslim women in our study felt that they had to deal with multiple prejudices, too, based not only on their religion but also their . Gender norms within communities and 鈥� such as those associated 鈥� were emphasised as potential barriers. But despite this, we have found that young Muslims in Scotland, like many worldwide, are overwhelmingly keen to get involved in both local and global politics. Being interested in politics is not just about voting, or having an opinion. Though we did find that young Muslims participate in conventional electoral politics, many are also involved with social activism, volunteering and charity work. Scottish politics For the young Muslims we spoke to, Scottish electoral politics was seen as a key form of political participation. Despite the stereotype of Muslims not wanting to be , the politics of Scotland are of particular interest to many of the young Muslims living in the country. Young Muslims are not disengaged from British society. John Gomez/Shutterstock Interestingly, the 2014 independence referendum, Scottish nationalism and the Scottish National Party have all of many young Muslims. A Pakistani Muslim man from Glasgow told us that he thought the referendum 鈥渄id wonders鈥� in Scotland, because, like many young people he wasn鈥檛 interested in politics before it happened. Some young Muslims we spoke to believe that the referendum has helped define what it is to be Scottish in a new multicultural society. Many interpreted Scottish nationalism and the possibility of Scottish independence quite differently to the recent comments made by the London Mayor . He warned that Scottish nationalism could be as divisive as racism and religious intolerance. But young Muslims consider Scottish independence as a progressive idea. One Muslim woman from Edinburgh told us: I find it has been really inclusive. It鈥檚 not about the colour of your skin, and it鈥檚 not about where you come from, it鈥檚 about what you want for Scotland. Framing Scottish nationalism in this way was an important factor in motivating young Muslims to engage in electoral politics. It was a political movement many felt they could support and be involved in. Whether they were for or against, everyone could voice their opinion on the independence referendum, regardless of race or religion. Activism, charity and volunteering Politics for these Muslims goes beyond the mainstream big issues, and indeed beyond conventional politics. From the 35 we spoke to, we found that the most frequently engaged with forms of activism included protest marching, awareness-raising events and internet activism. Like many young people of all backgrounds, their political concerns were wide-reaching. Global issues 鈥� such as the refugee crisis, concerns about human rights and anti-war activism 鈥� came up in discussion. At the same time, more local matters such as concerns about poverty in Scotland, food banks and were on the minds of the study participants, too. For these young Muslims, engaging with public life went further, into charity, community and . The majority of participants volunteered or did some form of charitable work. The activities were varied, ranging from fund-raising for international causes to local community work such as street cleaning. For some, political participation is a way to respond and challenge difficult prejudices. Understandably, though, prejudices make others cautious about pursuing an interest in politics. Despite our positive findings, young Muslims are willing to play a much bigger role in public and political life in Scotland. But for that to happen, society needs to overcome Islamophobia, racism and other stereotypes about Muslim young people. , Professor of Social Geography, and , Research Associate, This article was originally published on . Read the . 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