Professor Lucia Sorbera, Chair of the Department of Arab studies at The University of Sydney talks about re difference between perception and reality in the conversation around the Muslim world.
Every time there is an attack defined as "terror-related" or an international crisis occurs, the spotlight is positioned on minority groups and in particular on the Muslim communities, she added.
And the public's perceptions originate from the way the public narrative on Middle East, Arabs Islam and Muslims is carried out. It is episodic and mostly focused on crises and generalisations, she said.
In fact, while Islam is perceived as a monolithic world, it is in fact a kaleidoscopic and multifaceted world, made of a constellation of different groups, communities and individual and personal approaches.
Attacks are carried out globally by Muslim and non-Muslim individuals, both male and females. The issue is that when a Muslim person is responsible, the attack's narrative is solely centered on their religious affiliation and this originates a negative perception on behalf of the population, she said.
