Normalization of Islamophobia

The shooting incident in Miami Beach reveals how Islamophobia and racism have been normalized

The shooting incident in Miami Beach is not just a tragic isolated event, but a stark illustration of how deeply ingrained Islamophobia and racism have become in society. A Jewish man opened fire on two people he presumed were Palestinians—not because they threatened him, but because their assumed identity alone was enough to justify violence. However, it is not just the attack itself that is shocking, but also how both the media and the victims have interpreted the event.

I initially wrote about this in Norwegian because few Norwegian newspapers covered the incident, and the coverage that did exist failed to capture the absurdity of the situation fully. It became clear to me that this narrow reporting is not unique to Norway; I see the same trend in other countries as well. However, many outlets have started to address the missing elements, though overall, the landscape remains varied, with far too many offering weak or insufficient coverage.

The perpetrator, Mordechai Brafman, a 27-year-old Jewish man, did not shoot in self-defence or because of anything the victims did—they were shot because he believed they were Palestinians. He fired 17 shots at their car simply because he "saw Palestinians." This is an extreme example of how Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment have escalated, especially following the war in Gaza.

The most absurd aspect of this incident is the victims' own reaction. After surviving the attack, they went straight to social media, calling the event an "antisemitic act" before ending their post with "Death to Arabs." This is an extreme example of cognitive dissonance—both the Jewish perpetrator and his Jewish victims united in their hatred of Arabs, in an incident where no Arabs were even involved.

Beyond this absurd reaction, there is a more complex internal racist element. The victims belonged to a group of Jews often referred to as "Eastern Jews" or "Mizrahi Jews." The term "Mizrahi" has been used to distance these Jews from their Arab origins, leading to the avoidance of the more accurate term "Arab Jews," which, in many circles, has become a derogatory label. Mizrahi Jews have faced discrimination in Israel, and in some circles, this has developed into a hostile attitude towards Arabs. This phenomenon can be seen as an expression of a desire to distance themselves from their Arab roots and align with the far-right extremist elements of the Zionist movement.

The self-hatred some of these groups carry has been fostered in a system resembling apartheid, where there is a hierarchy among different Jewish groups. Palestinians, meanwhile, are so dehumanized that they are hardly seen as human. We’ve seen this countless times in recent months—videos of "ordinary" Israeli civilians mocking Palestinian suffering, Israeli soldiers filming themselves destroying Palestinian property, all while the international community looks the other way.

It’s also worth noting that while antisemitic attacks are widely covered (as they should be), Islamophobia is often treated as a secondary or even irrelevant issue. Why is it not explicitly stated that this was an Islamophobic attack? Why is only CAIR—a Muslim civil rights organization—referred to in connection with the call to classify this as a hate crime? Had the situation been reversed, the rhetoric and focus would likely have been much sharper.

This isn't a competition to see who is the most oppressed; it’s about consistent journalism. Islamophobia is a real and growing threat, and it should be acknowledged when such incidents occur. This episode is just one of many examples of how Islamophobia has been normalized in today’s society—not just through violent acts but also in pop culture and media coverage. From celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld to artists and filmmakers, prejudices against Muslims are often either ignored or actively reinforced, making it easier to dismiss serious events like this one as random or insignificant.