Description:

“What We Let The World Get Away With” comprises of six sets of cards which tell the story of global desensitisation towards Islamophobia. Each set combines infographics, facts and statistics with true stories, original Arabic calligraphy and wordplay on quotes from documents and political figures.

Graphic design conventions have been used to highlight the misinformation and rhetoric used by people of influence and the media, which has in turn perpetuated a growing animosity towards Islam and Muslim communities. Many people are desensitised to the seriousness of this hatred, while others continue to live in deliberate denial of its existence. The false narratives and stereotypes of Islam are associated with terror, oppression and ‘backwards thinking’ which have been normalised on a global scale.

Visual language is a tool that can be used for promoting awareness of societal issues. Design is engaged as social activism; to influence a change in thought and to highlight a pressing global issue. The project intends to allow audiences to easily disseminate hard evidence about the mistreatment of Muslims around the world. It highlights the disturbing reality that there are barely any consequences faced by powerful political figures who are guilty of ongoing discrimination. The common thread of hatred is shared throughout every country addressed in this project.

The realm of Islamophobia exists in a much wider sociocultural context of prejudice and othering of ‘minorities’. Almost every ethnic and religious minority has been wrongfully discriminated against at some point in our collective history. While nothing can be done to rewrite crimes of the past, it is important for people to be aware of how this pattern has developed and is still evident in contemporary society.