Last night at the second debate a young muslim woman asked a great question. It was essentially, “What would they each do about Islamophobia? What would they do to stop it?”

Both candidates rambled on essentially saying nothing. Neither really answered her question. It was a lost opportunity to address the problem to all Muslims.

The actual answer is pretty simple. The only people who can really stop Islamophobia, are the followers of Islam. Let me explain. This is not a hate piece against Muslims. On the contrary, I have many muslim friends and they’re great people. They have always been great for 30+ years. It is unfortunate that they have been swept up into this.

No law nor President or Congress will ever be able to magically make it go away. That is impossible.

Here’s why the only real driver of fixing Islamophobia is Muslims themselves.

To understand it all lets take it out of this context and go back to World War II or even the early 60’s and the Cuban missile crisis and our feelings towards Russians.

During World War II, if a person in America (or Europe) was clearly German or Japanese, they would most definitely experience either German or Japanese ‘phobia’ just like today’s Islamophobia.

The reason then is the reason now. We are at war with a particular segment of the world’s society.

Then it was Germans and the Japanese. Now it is radicalized Muslims. When death to you is a real possibility because of someone else, fear and dislike become the byproduct. It is human nature. It is unchangeable. Those feelings have occurred for thousands of years.

During World War II not all citizens of Germany or Japan were awful people. Most just wanted the war to end and for them to get on with their lives. The same is true now for most Muslims.

However, the war has to end to have Islamophobia end. Without that happening it will continue forever and probably get worse.

Within a few years after WWII finally ended, most people in America and Europe went back to their old ways and hostile feeling towards Germans and Japanese faded. They faded so much that those two countries and its citizens are now some of our closest allies and friends.  The same will happen when radicalized Muslims let go of their desire to kill non-Muslims and push their way of life onto the west -- just like it used to be for generations, prior to the Iranian hostage crisis.

So the answer to the question lies with the questioner herself. Only she and her fellow Muslims can truly make Islamophobia disappear. For when ISIS and that type of hatred thinking finally ends, so will Islamophobia. They are the world’s mirror to each other.