The Islamophobia Myth (& Ad Hom)

Many people seem to think criticism of Islam (NO, not just "extremists"/"terrorists") but Mainstream Islamic Ideology as it is practised today is either Bigoted or Phobic.

This is completely Untrue and as the title says, ad hominem.

I Reject the Koran....and other Holy Books too.

But due to the fact the a Majority of Muslims Are Literalist, (unlike the other 2) and that the Koran's enemies (Jews, Christians, Pagans/Hindus) are still Extant, this is a Much bigger problem worldwide.


Short excerpts of two articles on this Misused 'Neologism' and oft intended insult.

http://www.kenanmalik.com/essays/islamophobia_prospect.html
Edit..
Link expired, can be found here:
http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=9835

The Islamophobia Myth
KenanMalik.com (UK)

Ten years ago no one had heard of Islamophobia. Now everyone from Muslim leaders to anti-racist activists to government ministers want to convince us that Britain is in the grip of an irrational hatred of Islam - a hatred that, they claim, leads to institutionalised harassment, physical attacks, social discrimination and political alienation. Former Home Office Minister John Denham has warned of the 'cancer of Islamophobia' infecting the nation....."

But does Islamophobia really exist? Or is the hatred and abuse of Muslims being exaggerated to suit politicians' needs and silence the critics of Islam?
The trouble with Islamophobia is that it is an irrational concept.
It confuses hatred of, and discrimination against, Muslims on the one hand with criticism of Islam on the other.
The charge of 'Islamophobia' is all too often used not to highlight racism but to stifle criticism. And in reality discrimination against Muslims is not as great as is often perceived - but Criticism of Islam should be Greater.

In making a film on 'Islamophobia for Channel 4' (link) what became clear is the gap between perception and reality. Islamophobia driven by what people want to believe is true, rather than what really is true...."

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and
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina60526.htm

"Islamophobia" is ad hominem
By Ali Sina

One friend alerted me to a discussion going on in Wikipedia on the neologism “Islamophobia”. Someone has suggested that this category should be deleted because the term Islamophobia is divisive, inflammatory and it is frequently used to inhibit very valid criticism of Islam.
[......]
Islam is an ideology. Rejection of an ideology cannot be classified as phobia. To call the opponents of an ideology phobic is a fallacy....

According to Dictionary.com Phobia is “a persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.” Therefore the neologism "Islamophobia" implies that Islam is not dangerous and the fear of it is irrational.

This claim has not been established and it is not universally agreed upon. There are many who argue that Islam is indeed a dangerous ideology and they have their logical arguments to prove their claim. Irrespective of whether the critics of Islam are right or wrong about whether Islam is dangerous or not, calling them “phobic” implies that their criticism has been already refuted and the irrationality of their fear of Islamic threat has been established. Therefore their disagreement with Islam is not logical but a mental disorder.

All ideologies have their opponents. It is sheer arrogance to call criticism of any ideology, phobia.
This implies that the truth of that ideology is already established and anyone opposing it is adopting an irrational position and is in need of psychological help.
[......................................]
The neologism “Islamophobia”, is therefore the symptom of the Intellectual Bankruptcy of Muslim clerisy to come up with logical arguments and defend Islam against criticism in a rational way.
"Islamophobia" is an ad hominen. It is a logical fallacy and an insult hurled at the critics of Islam.......

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Well Big, the simple fact of the matter is that much of the criticism levelled against mainstream Islam is grounded in bigotry and phobia, usually with a healthy dose of exaggeration to boost.

For example, the oft criticized 'jihad' within Islam is very much open to debate within the Muslim community, with the vast majority agreeing that jihad in personal issue regarding a personal struggle rather than the reduction of an external threat, be that real or imagined.

Essentially, this would be like comparing Christians to Jim Jones and saying, "Well, look how violent Christianity is!"

The simple fact of the matter is that a community of a billion people is going to have wide range of views and opinions. It is also true that any ideology will have adherents that seek to radicalize that ideology for personal political gain or the attention of political power through force of arms. In the end, it is political power and not Islam that is driving so called Islamic radicals.

There are within the banner of the Catholic Church, whose numbers are close to those of Islam's, those who deny the Halocaust and its doctrine's were cited as one of the main drivers for Irish insurgents in Northern Ireland. Does that mean that the Catholic Church is fundamentally flawed?

I will also tell you that I was embedded with Iraqi soldiers and outnumbered in a religious sense literally hundreds to one. I will also tell you upon returning that there were those who applied pressure to prevent me from sharing the honorable actions and occassional overt heroism that I witnessed from these Muslim soldiers.

The simple fact of the matter is that the majority of Muslims hate radical Islam as much as we do, if not more so. They have died in far higher numbers than we have at their hands, and it is they who will bear the brunt of the brutality should those radical elements suceed. Those were not Americans we found in the rape and torture rooms we uncovered throughout Iraq. If we cannot find common cause with these men and women against our common enemy, then the fault is entirely our own.

What you say is true, not all criticism of Islam is based in bigotry. It is also true that not all criticism of Islam is free of bigotry.

This belongs in the Religion & Philosophy section.

Degreez said:

This belongs in the Religion & Philosophy section.

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Agreed. But this has to be at least ten characters.

gree0232 said:

Agreed. But this has to be at least ten characters.

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Also, I find it laughable that mbig is using FaithFreedom.org, a website that has tried to make comparisons of Barack Obama with Adolf Hitler and other mass murderers. It's also laughable that the user Ali Sina took his name from a renowned Persian Islamic philosopher.

Actually mbig the article by Kenan Malik that you posted shows me that the British are not dumb. Quite comforting for me especially that I'm about to marry and Englishman :mrgreen:

By the same token, people who criticise Israel and NOT anti-Semitic, but they are always wrongly accused of being so.

As for the second article :doh

Mira said:

Actually mbig the article by Kenan Malik that you posted shows me that the British are not dumb. Quite comforting for me especially that I'm about to marry and Englishman :mrgreen:

By the same token, people who criticise Israel and NOT anti-Semitic, but they are always wrongly accused of being so.

As for the second article :doh

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Congratulations on your marriage

I hope the lucky bloke realizes he's marrying a very intelligent woman, and that you will be very happy together for years to come

gree0232 said:

Congratulations on your marriage

I hope the lucky bloke realizes he's marrying a very intelligent woman, and that you will be very happy together for years to come

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Thanks gree, he happens to be a conservative though :shock: :rofl

edit: I especially avoid discussing politics with his parents who are lovely people and speak like the queen