Being a Swiftie and experiencing Islamophobia
By Eda Kamal, September 18 2024—
On July 31, three young children died in a horrific stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The tragedy shook the town of Southport in England to its core and the world as a whole. There was no explanation for this act of violence towards little girls who were simply excited to engage in activities and music that they loved, no explanation but hatred.
Before the attacker was named, online rumours circulated about the name and history of the suspect — that he was an immigrant, a Muslim. Billions of people viewed these rumours online, and the availability of a “name” and “identity” — without evidence — is enough for some to draw their own conclusions and narratives. This is especially prevalent because of the increased sentiments of Islamophobia in the United Kingdom — associations of an entire religion with violence that no human faith would endorse.
The days before the identification of the suspect as UK-born Axel Rudakubana were riddled with riots spurred by the far-right inciting violence against migrants and Muslims. The unnecessary violence against the little girls, instead of leading to productive action and discourse, simply led to more unnecessary violence that made more people feel unsafe — online and in real life.
As a Muslim who started wearing the hijab last year, I’ve already been wary of derogatory treatment from society because of my choice to become a visible minority. Even though the riots and violence have been mostly localized to the United Kingdom, I’ve been getting the sense more often that others associate me in their minds with barbarity, which is nowhere close to the beliefs I practise in my (and most other Muslims’) interpretation of faith.
However, I heard about the Southport stabbings first from a “Swiftie” perspective. Over the past month, I’ve witnessed a lot of Islamophobia from a community that used to bring me so much solace and solidarity in something I love on top of the societal prejudices that come from just anyone. This isn’t even the only recent event that has complicated my interest in the culture around Swift’s music as a Muslim, inflating Islamophobia in these communities.
Taylor Swift has been on her world-renowned Eras Tour since March 2023, travelling the globe to allow fans to share in their enjoyment of all of her music throughout her career. Her shows in Vienna scheduled for Aug. 8-10 were all cancelled due to terrorist threats. The suspects were connected to ISIS, a terrorist organization responsible for so much death and destruction as well as the contribution of the association of Islam with terrorism.
Those who were meant to go to the Vienna show of the Eras tour felt terribly betrayed and neglected, which is fair — the tour has been hailed as life-altering in its beauty. However, many who had the misfortune to miss out on the experience take their frustrations out on the scapegoat that in reality has nothing to do with their troubles — Islam and Muslims. This has contributed to the hatred I have witnessed and experienced online that comes from the very people whose viewpoints I thought I understood the most.
Like white supremacy groups or violent incel forums, the stereotyping of inhumanity to a certain group of people is unfair and incorrect. In order to make sense of senseless acts, many find the need for a scapegoat, and religion happens to be that for certain terrorist groups. Nevertheless, some members of the general public seem to be unable to cognitively separate the violence from a belief system they’re unfamiliar with, resulting in the renewal of discrimination — in this case, Islamophobia.
As small as the problem is compared to so much chaos in the world, it’s hard to have a coping mechanism be stained with the very hatred I’m attempting to avoid. There is so much hate in the world, and music usually allows me to drown it out in my own ruminations. Regardless, in these situations, it’s important to have self-assurance and awareness. Understanding and empathizing with why people think and reason the way they do is key to responding appropriately and creating meaningful discourse and perhaps significant change when it comes to doing what one loves.
This article is a part of our Voices section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.