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lead should include some introduction of what is being considered as islamophobia. Separate "rejoinder" is uneccessary.
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In 1997, the British [[Runnymede Trust]] defined Islamophobia as the "dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, to the fear and dislike of all Muslims," stating that it also refers to the behaviour of excluding Muslims from the "economic, social, and public life of the nation." It includes the perception that Islam has no values in common with other cultures, is inferior to the West, is a violent [[political ideology]] rather than a religion, that its criticisms of the West have no substance, and that discriminatory practices against Muslims are justified.<ref name=Runnymede5>Runnymede 1997, p. 5, cited in Quraishi 2005, p. 60.</ref>
In 1997, the British [[Runnymede Trust]] defined Islamophobia as the "dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, to the fear and dislike of all Muslims," stating that it also refers to the behaviour of excluding Muslims from the "economic, social, and public life of the nation." It includes the perception that Islam has no values in common with other cultures, is inferior to the West, is a violent [[political ideology]] rather than a religion, that its criticisms of the West have no substance, and that discriminatory practices against Muslims are justified.<ref name=Runnymede5>Runnymede 1997, p. 5, cited in Quraishi 2005, p. 60.</ref>

There has been a rise in islamophobia, particularly after the events of September 11th 2001. According to Gallup polls, 40 percent of Americans admit to feeling prejudice against Muslims. 39% of Americans feel Muslims should be made to carry special identification. [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=2413473&page=2]


British writer and academic [[Kenan Malik]] has criticized the concept, calling it a "myth." Malik argues that the concept confuses discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam, and is used to silence critics of the religion, including Muslims who want to reform it.<ref name=Malik/> Novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] and others signed a manifesto entitled [[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism|''Together facing the new totalitarianism'']] in [[March 2006]] calling Islamophobia a "wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."<ref name=Rushdie>[[Salman Rushdie|Rushdie, Salman]] ''et al''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4764730.stm "Writers' statement on cartoons"], BBC News, March 1, 2006.</ref>
British writer and academic [[Kenan Malik]] has criticized the concept, calling it a "myth." Malik argues that the concept confuses discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam, and is used to silence critics of the religion, including Muslims who want to reform it.<ref name=Malik/> Novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] and others signed a manifesto entitled [[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism|''Together facing the new totalitarianism'']] in [[March 2006]] calling Islamophobia a "wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."<ref name=Rushdie>[[Salman Rushdie|Rushdie, Salman]] ''et al''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4764730.stm "Writers' statement on cartoons"], BBC News, March 1, 2006.</ref>
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[[Image:Salman Rushdie by Kubik 01.JPG|left|thumb|170px|[[Salman Rushdie]] was one of 12 prominent writers who signed a statement condemning Islamophobia as a "wretched concept."<ref name=Rushdie/>]]
[[Image:Salman Rushdie by Kubik 01.JPG|left|thumb|170px|[[Salman Rushdie]] was one of 12 prominent writers who signed a statement condemning Islamophobia as a "wretched concept."<ref name=Rushdie/>]]
British writer and academic [[Kenan Malik]] has criticized the concept of Islamaphobia, calling it a "myth." Malik argues Islamophobia obfuscates discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam and that it is used to silence critics and Muslim reformers. He states that the extent to which Muslims are more vulnerable to social exclusion and attacks than other groups is exaggerated. Malik writes that the concept allows politicians who may have supported the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] or the [[War on Terror]] to "reclaim the moral high ground" and "pitch for the Muslim vote." He argues the result is the creation of a culture of victimhood, allowing individual Muslims to attribute low achievement to Islamophobia, and not to themselves. Malik argues that Islamophobia is not a form of racism because Islam is a belief system. "I can be hateful about other beliefs, such as [[conservatism]] or [[communism]]. So why can't I be hateful about religion too?"<ref name=Malik>Malik, Kenan.[http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=6679 "Islamophobia Myth"], Prospect, February 2005.</ref>
British writer and academic [[Kenan Malik]] has criticized the concept of Islamaphobia, calling it a "myth." Malik argues Islamophobia obfuscates discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam and that it is used to silence critics and Muslim reformers. He states that the extent to which Muslims are more vulnerable to social exclusion and attacks than other groups is exaggerated. Malik writes that the concept allows politicians who may have supported the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] or the [[War on Terror]] to "reclaim the moral high ground" and "pitch for the Muslim vote." He argues the result is the creation of a culture of victimhood, allowing individual Muslims to attribute low achievement to Islamophobia, and not to themselves. Malik argues that Islamophobia is not a form of racism because Islam is a belief system. "I can be hateful about other beliefs, such as [[conservatism]] or [[communism]]. So why can't I be hateful about religion too?"<ref name=Malik>Malik, Kenan.[http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=6679 "Islamophobia Myth"], Prospect, February 2005.</ref>

Malik's analysis of Islamophobia was criticized by [[Inayat Bunglawala]] from the [[Muslim Council of Britain]] and Abdul Wahid from the [[Islamism|Islamist]] group [[Hizb ut-Tahrir]].<ref name=Bunglawala>Bunglawala, Inayat & Wahid, Abdul. [http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/pdfarticle.php?id=6764 "Is Islamophobia a Myth?"], ''Prospect Magazine'', March 2005.</ref> Bunglawala writes that Malik's argument is limited to overt acts of violence against Muslims. As an example of less overt prejudice, Bunglawala cites a BBC study that found applicants for jobs who had English-sounding names were more likely to secure an interview than those with Muslim names. By ignoring non-violent examples of alleged Islamophobia, Malik's commentary "makes a mockery of victims of prejudice by pretending they have not been discriminated against," according to Bunglawala. In addition, he argues that Malik did not adequately study the proposed law against the incitement of religious hatred, and that he failed to appreciate the definitions of the term "Islamophobia" according to the very sources he uses in his article.<ref name=Bunglawala/>


In the wake of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]], a group of 12 prominent writers signed a statement in the French weekly satirical newspaper ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'' in March 2006, warning against the use of the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of "[[Islamic totalitarianism]]." The novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] was among these signatories. The statement alleged that "Islamism is a reactionary ideology that kills equality, freedom and [[secularism]] wherever it is present. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", a wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."<ref name=Rushdie>[[Salman Rushdie|Rushdie, Salman]] ''et al''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4764730.stm "Writers' statement on cartoons"], BBC News, March 1, 2006.</ref>
In the wake of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]], a group of 12 prominent writers signed a statement in the French weekly satirical newspaper ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'' in March 2006, warning against the use of the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of "[[Islamic totalitarianism]]." The novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] was among these signatories. The statement alleged that "Islamism is a reactionary ideology that kills equality, freedom and [[secularism]] wherever it is present. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", a wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."<ref name=Rushdie>[[Salman Rushdie|Rushdie, Salman]] ''et al''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4764730.stm "Writers' statement on cartoons"], BBC News, March 1, 2006.</ref>
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''[[The New Criterion]]'' editor [[Roger Kimball]] argues that the word "Islamophobia" is a misnomer. "A phobia describes an [[Phobia|irrational fear]], and it is axiomatic that fearing the effects of radical Islam is not irrational, but on the contrary very well-founded indeed, so that if you want to speak of a legitimate phobia — it’s a phobia I experience frequently — we should speak instead of Islamophobia-phobia, the fear of and revulsion towards Islamophobia."<ref name=Kimball>Kimball, Roger. [http://web.archive.org/web/20060103053941/http://www.newcriterion.com/archives/24/01/after-the-suicide/ "After the suicide of the West"], January 2006.</ref>
''[[The New Criterion]]'' editor [[Roger Kimball]] argues that the word "Islamophobia" is a misnomer. "A phobia describes an [[Phobia|irrational fear]], and it is axiomatic that fearing the effects of radical Islam is not irrational, but on the contrary very well-founded indeed, so that if you want to speak of a legitimate phobia — it’s a phobia I experience frequently — we should speak instead of Islamophobia-phobia, the fear of and revulsion towards Islamophobia."<ref name=Kimball>Kimball, Roger. [http://web.archive.org/web/20060103053941/http://www.newcriterion.com/archives/24/01/after-the-suicide/ "After the suicide of the West"], January 2006.</ref>

===Rejoinder to the criticism===

Malik's analysis of Islamophobia was criticized by [[Inayat Bunglawala]] from the [[Muslim Council of Britain]] and Abdul Wahid from the [[Islamism|Islamist]] group [[Hizb ut-Tahrir]].<ref name=Bunglawala>Bunglawala, Inayat & Wahid, Abdul. [http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/pdfarticle.php?id=6764 "Is Islamophobia a Myth?"], ''Prospect Magazine'', March 2005.</ref> Bunglawala writes that Malik's argument is limited to overt acts of violence against Muslims. As an example of less overt prejudice, Bunglawala cites a BBC study that found applicants for jobs who had English-sounding names were more likely to secure an interview than those with Muslim names. By ignoring non-violent examples of alleged Islamophobia, Malik's commentary "makes a mockery of victims of prejudice by pretending they have not been discriminated against," according to Bunglawala. In addition, he argues that Malik did not adequately study the proposed law against the incitement of religious hatred, and that he failed to appreciate the definitions of the term "Islamophobia" according to the very sources he uses in his article.<ref name=Bunglawala/>


American writer [[Stephen Schwartz (journalist)|Stephen Schwartz]], director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism, has cautioned against what he sees as a tendency to accuse all opponents of Islamic radicalism of Islamophobia, but writes that it is nevertheless a real phenomenon. He defines it as the condemnation of the entirety of [[Islam]] and its history as [[Extremism|extremist]]; denying the existence of a moderate Muslim majority; regarding Islam as a problem for the world; treating conflicts involving Muslims as necessarily their own fault; insisting that Muslims make changes to their religion; and inciting war against Islam as a whole.<ref name=Schwartz>[[Stephen Schwartz (journalist)|Schwartz, Stephen]]. [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17874 "The 'Islamophobes' That Aren't"], ''FrontPage Magazine'', April 28, 2005.</ref>
American writer [[Stephen Schwartz (journalist)|Stephen Schwartz]], director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism, has cautioned against what he sees as a tendency to accuse all opponents of Islamic radicalism of Islamophobia, but writes that it is nevertheless a real phenomenon. He defines it as the condemnation of the entirety of [[Islam]] and its history as [[Extremism|extremist]]; denying the existence of a moderate Muslim majority; regarding Islam as a problem for the world; treating conflicts involving Muslims as necessarily their own fault; insisting that Muslims make changes to their religion; and inciting war against Islam as a whole.<ref name=Schwartz>[[Stephen Schwartz (journalist)|Schwartz, Stephen]]. [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17874 "The 'Islamophobes' That Aren't"], ''FrontPage Magazine'', April 28, 2005.</ref>

Revision as of 16:04, 10 June 2007

Template:Discrimination2 Islamophobia is a controversial[1] term that refers to what its proponents see as prejudice or discrimination against Islam or Muslims.[2] The term dates back to the late 1980s,[3] but came into common currency after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[4] Opponents of the concept argue that it is often misused to undermine legitimate criticism of Islam.[5]

In 1997, the British Runnymede Trust defined Islamophobia as the "dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, to the fear and dislike of all Muslims," stating that it also refers to the behaviour of excluding Muslims from the "economic, social, and public life of the nation." It includes the perception that Islam has no values in common with other cultures, is inferior to the West, is a violent political ideology rather than a religion, that its criticisms of the West have no substance, and that discriminatory practices against Muslims are justified.[6]

There has been a rise in islamophobia, particularly after the events of September 11th 2001. According to Gallup polls, 40 percent of Americans admit to feeling prejudice against Muslims. 39% of Americans feel Muslims should be made to carry special identification. [2]

British writer and academic Kenan Malik has criticized the concept, calling it a "myth." Malik argues that the concept confuses discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam, and is used to silence critics of the religion, including Muslims who want to reform it.[5] Novelist Salman Rushdie and others signed a manifesto entitled Together facing the new totalitarianism in March 2006 calling Islamophobia a "wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."[7]

Etymology

The term is formed of Islam, the post-classical Latin -o- connecting vowel, and the post-classical Latin combining form -phobia which is used to form nouns with the sense 'fear of' or 'aversion to.' [8] See List of anti-ethnic and anti-national terms for other "-phobia" coinages.

Definitions

In 1996 the Runnymede Trust established the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, chaired by Professor Gordon Conway, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex. Their report, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, was launched in November 1997 by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw. It described Islamophobia as involving eight distinctive features:

  1. Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change.
  2. It is seen as separate and "other." It does not have values in common with other cultures, is not affected by them and does not influence them.
  3. It is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive, and sexist.
  4. It is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism, and engaged in a clash of civilizations.
  5. It is seen as a political ideology, used for political or military advantage.
  6. Criticisms made of "the West" by Islam are rejected out of hand.
  7. Hostility towards Islam is used to justify discriminatory practices towards Muslims and exclusion of Muslims from mainstream society.
  8. Anti-Muslim hostility is seen as natural and normal.[9]

Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid, one of the members of the Runnymede Trust's Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia which published the 1997 report argued that:

"Hostility towards Islam and Muslims has been a feature of European societies since the eighth century of the Common Era. It has taken different forms, however, at different times and has fulfilled a variety of functions. For example, the hostility in Spain in the fifteenth century was not the same as the hostility that had been expressed and mobilised [ sic] in the Crusades. Nor was the hostility during the time of the Ottoman Empire or that which was prevalent throughout the age of empires and colonialism. It may be more apt to speak of 'Islamophobias' rather than of a single phenomenon. Each version of Islamophobia has its own features as well as similarities with, and borrowings from, other versions."[10]

The American writer Stephen Schwartz has defined Islamophobia as the condemnation of the entirety of Islam and its history as extremist; "denying" the existence of a moderate Muslim majority; regarding Islam as a problem for the world; treating conflicts involving Muslims as necessarily their own fault; insisting that Muslims make changes to their religion; and inciting war against Islam as a whole.[11]


EUMC report

The largest project monitoring Islamophobia was undertaken following 9/11 by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). Their May 2002 report "Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001", written Chris Allen (UK) and Jorgen S. Nielsen of the University of Birmingham, was based on 75 reports — 15 from each EU member nation.[12]

The report highlighted the regularity with which ordinary Muslims became targets for abusive and sometimes violent retaliatory attacks after 9/11. Despite localized differences within each member nation, the recurrence of attacks on recognizable and visible traits of Islam and Muslims was the report's most significant finding. Incidents consisted of verbal abuse, blaming all Muslims for terrorism, forcibly removing women's hijabs, spitting on Muslims, calling children "Usama," and random assaults. Muslims have been hospitalized and on one occasion paralyzed.[12]

The report also discussed the portrayal of Muslims in the media. Inherent negativity, stereotypical images, fantastical representations, and exaggerated caricatures were all identified. The report concluded that "a greater receptivity towards anti-Muslim and other xenophobic ideas and sentiments has, and may well continue, to become more tolerated."[12]

Public discourse

The term has been used by a number of individuals and organisations, including Kofi Annan, who voiced his opinion on a UN conference in 2004: "[W]hen the world is compelled to coin a new term to take account of increasingly widespread bigotry, that is a sad and troubling development. Such is the case with Islamophobia."[13] [14]

Efforts against alleged Islamophobia

There have been efforts against alleged Islamophobia by many organizations in many countries; some of these are detailed below.

Alleged acts of Islamophobia

Views labeled Islamophobic

General references

  • While in Kazakhstan, the former Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, prayed for "both Christian and Muslims to raise an intense prayer to the one almighty God", and begged "God to keep the world in peace." He won praise from the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, for "protecting the world from Islamophobia".[67]
  • In March 2005 Queen Noor of Jordan, while on the BBC television program "Breakfast with Frost", said, "What grieves me today, truly, is the fact that not only in the United States but also in Europe we've seen the rise, over the last few years, of Islamophobia," adding, "Muslim populations and the Muslim world has been increasingly, not decreasingly, viewed as a menace, as alien, as, perhaps, incompatible with Western societies and values. And I passionately believe that that is not true and that we have a great deal of work to do there."[68]
  • Anja Rudiger, Executive Coordinator of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, argues that it is no longer acceptable to use skin color as an attribute to distinguish people, and that religion and culture have become the "markers of seemingly 'natural' kinds of differences." She writes that Islam has become "the new 'other' ..."[69][70]
  • The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said that the media bore some responsibility for a "rising tide of Islamophobia." He compared the reporting of Muslims in Britain to the way the flight of Jews from Russia had been covered 100 years ago.[71]

Publications and publishers alleged to be Islamophobic

Carl Ernst, an academic scholar of Islamic studies, states that particular publications are promoted and supported by right-wing organizations that perpetuate Islamophobia and publish books written by Islamophobics. Ernst lists Regnery Publishing Inc, Encounter Books and The Free Congress Foundation, and makes some remarks on their funding sources.[54] For example, Ernst writes that Encounter Books has been funded with $4,635,000 for its publications over the past ten years from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and that the Free Congress Foundation has received almost $24 million in funding from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and other conservative sources in the past twenty years.[54]

Incidents on aircraft

  • On 16 August 2006 British passengers on-board a flight from Malaga to Manchester requested the removal of two men of Asian descent from a plane. According to a spokesman for the Civil Guard in Malaga, "These men had aroused suspicion because of their appearance and the fact that they were speaking in a foreign language thought to be an Arabic language, and the pilot was refusing to take off until they were escorted off the plane." A security sweep of the plane found no explosives or any item of a terrorist nature. Monarch Airlines booked the men, who were Urdu speakers, into a hotel room, gave them a free meal and sent them home on a later plane. The men later responded, "Just because we're Muslim, does not mean we are suicide bombers." The Islamic Human Rights Commission blamed "ever-increasing Islamophobia" related to the "war on terror" for the incident.[72][73][74]
  • A passenger traveling to the British Virgin Islands on a plane bound for the United States from Manchester in the UK was forced off the plane prior to takeoff. The man, a British-born Muslim residing in the United States, said he was singled out because he was a Muslim pilot and was left feeling "demoralized and humiliated. I must have met the profile on the day. I have an Arabic name, I am a Muslim, I'm from Britain and I know how to fly."[75][76]
  • On 21 November 2006, six imams were forcefully removed from a US Airways flight at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport on suspicions of terrorism. The event led to an outcry from Muslim organizations in America saying that what happened showed the growing prejudice against Muslims in America.[77] Details of the accusations made against the imams can be found in the official police report on the incident (currently exclusively hosted here), which includes written witness testimony of the imams' extremely suspicious activity, such as praising terrorism, praying unnecessarily loudly, asking for seat-belt extensions that were obviously not needed (then putting said extensions under their seats), not sitting in their assigned seats (having someone near each exit in a pattern shared by hijackers of the past), and getting up to move around and confer with each other repeatedly. See Flying Imams controversy for more details regarding this incident.


Criticism

The concept has been criticized on several grounds. Some critics argue that Islamophobia is real but is just another form of racism and does not require its own category, while others argue that, unlike racism, Islam is a religion that people can choose to adopt, to retain or to leave or apostatize. Others argue the term Islamophobia is used to censor criticism and that its use threatens free speech.

Silencing of criticism of Islam

Salman Rushdie was one of 12 prominent writers who signed a statement condemning Islamophobia as a "wretched concept."[7]

British writer and academic Kenan Malik has criticized the concept of Islamaphobia, calling it a "myth." Malik argues Islamophobia obfuscates discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam and that it is used to silence critics and Muslim reformers. He states that the extent to which Muslims are more vulnerable to social exclusion and attacks than other groups is exaggerated. Malik writes that the concept allows politicians who may have supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq or the War on Terror to "reclaim the moral high ground" and "pitch for the Muslim vote." He argues the result is the creation of a culture of victimhood, allowing individual Muslims to attribute low achievement to Islamophobia, and not to themselves. Malik argues that Islamophobia is not a form of racism because Islam is a belief system. "I can be hateful about other beliefs, such as conservatism or communism. So why can't I be hateful about religion too?"[5]

Malik's analysis of Islamophobia was criticized by Inayat Bunglawala from the Muslim Council of Britain and Abdul Wahid from the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.[78] Bunglawala writes that Malik's argument is limited to overt acts of violence against Muslims. As an example of less overt prejudice, Bunglawala cites a BBC study that found applicants for jobs who had English-sounding names were more likely to secure an interview than those with Muslim names. By ignoring non-violent examples of alleged Islamophobia, Malik's commentary "makes a mockery of victims of prejudice by pretending they have not been discriminated against," according to Bunglawala. In addition, he argues that Malik did not adequately study the proposed law against the incitement of religious hatred, and that he failed to appreciate the definitions of the term "Islamophobia" according to the very sources he uses in his article.[78]

In the wake of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, a group of 12 prominent writers signed a statement in the French weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in March 2006, warning against the use of the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of "Islamic totalitarianism." The novelist Salman Rushdie was among these signatories. The statement alleged that "Islamism is a reactionary ideology that kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", a wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it."[7]

British columnist Josie Appleton argues Runnymede Trust uses the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of Islam. "Rather than engage Muslims in debate, non-Muslims are supposed to tiptoe around them, for fear of causing offense."[79] Afshin Ellian, a Dutch law professor, writes that the concept is used to delegitimize criticism by characterizing it as pathological[80] while civil-rights activist Bahram Soroush has called it "intellectual blackmail".[81] French writer Robert Redeker argues that the history of the term demonstrates that the term Islamophobia was created by "radical islamists" to "tackle feminists".[82]

Johann Hari of The Independent has criticized the use of the term by organizations like Islamophobia Watch, arguing that liberal Muslims interested in reform are left unsupported because people fear being accused of Islamophobia. He writes: "If Muslim women and Muslim gays are going to have any kind of decent life, the [Muslim] liberals need to receive solidarity and support – but slap-dash charges of Islamophobia intimidate people who could offer it ... While Islamophobia Watch talk about defending Muslims, they end up defending the nastiest and most right-wing part of the Muslim community – the ones who are oppressing and killing the rest."[83]

Critics have cited the case of British journalist Polly Toynbee, who was nominated in May 2003 for the title of "Most Islamophobic Media Personality of the Year" at the Annual Islamophobia Awards overseen by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, who has argued that there is no such thing as Islamophobia.[84] The nomination was based on her comments in The Guardian that "[w]herever Islam either is the government or bears down upon the government, it imposes harsh regimes that deny the most basic human rights."[84]

Reacting against a proposed UK law curtailing religious criticism, actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson drew the distinction between racism and criticism of religion: "To criticise a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous but to criticise their religion, that is a right... A law which attempts to say you can criticise and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed."[85]

Islamophobia-phobia

Writing in the New Humanist, philosopher Piers Benn suggests that people who fear the rise of Islamophobia foster an environment "not intellectually or morally healthy", to the point that what he calls "Islamophobia-phobia" can undermine "critical scrutiny of Islam as somehow impolite, or ignorant of the religion's true nature", encouraging "sentimental pretence that all claims to religious truth are somehow 'equal', or that critical scrutiny of Islam (or any belief system) is ignorant, prejudiced, or 'phobic'".[86]

The New Criterion editor Roger Kimball argues that the word "Islamophobia" is a misnomer. "A phobia describes an irrational fear, and it is axiomatic that fearing the effects of radical Islam is not irrational, but on the contrary very well-founded indeed, so that if you want to speak of a legitimate phobia — it’s a phobia I experience frequently — we should speak instead of Islamophobia-phobia, the fear of and revulsion towards Islamophobia."[87]

American writer Stephen Schwartz, director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism, has cautioned against what he sees as a tendency to accuse all opponents of Islamic radicalism of Islamophobia, but writes that it is nevertheless a real phenomenon. He defines it as the condemnation of the entirety of Islam and its history as extremist; denying the existence of a moderate Muslim majority; regarding Islam as a problem for the world; treating conflicts involving Muslims as necessarily their own fault; insisting that Muslims make changes to their religion; and inciting war against Islam as a whole.[88]

See also

References

  1. ^
    • Historian Victor Davis Hanson: "There really isn't a phenomena like "Islamophobia" - at least no more than there was a "Germanophobia" in hating Hitler or "Russiaphobia" in detesting Stalin." - The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) By Robert Spencer, ISBN 0895260131, Regnery Publishing, Pg. 200
    • "All this indicates that "Islamophobia" is virtually useless as an analytical tool. To adopt it is to accept the most virulent form of theological equivalence, and to affirm, against all the evidence, that every religious tradition is equally capable of inspiring violence." - The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) By Robert Spencer, ISBN 0895260131, Regnery Publishing, Pg. 199
    • "This term is a fabricated and question-begging linguistic manoeuvre designed to present the protection of religious sensibilities as a civil liberty issue." - The "Islamophobia" scam, Oliver Kamm
    • "The pseudo-psychiatric term Islamophobia is a statement that any criticism of Muslims is evidence of clinical pathology. Yet the label is often attached to valid criticisms of particular Muslims whose behaviour has laid them open to legitimate censure." - David Green, Bad Faith VI
    • Malik, Kenan. "Islamophobia Myth", Prospect, February 2005.
    • Rushdie, Salman et al. "Writers' statement on cartoons", BBC News, March 1, 2006.
  2. ^
    • Sandra Fredman, Discrimination and Human Rights, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0199246033, p.121.
    • Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Muslims in the West: From Sojourners to Citizens, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195148061, p.19
    • Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, Runnymede Trust, 1997, p. 1, cited in Quraishi, Muzammil. Muslims and Crime: A Comparative Study, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2005, p. 60. ISBN 075464233X. Early in 1997, the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, at that time part of the Runnymede Trust, issued a consultative document on Islamophobia under the chairmanship of Professor Gordon Conway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex. The final report, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, was launched in November 1997 by Home Secretary Jack Straw.
    • Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn, A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521826926 p.429.
    • Abduljalil Sajid. "Islamophobia: A New Word for an Old Fear" in Islamophobia and Antisemitism, Markus Wiener Publishers, 2006, p. 1: defines the term as "anti-Muslim prejudice."
  3. ^ Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, Runnymede Trust, 1997, p. 1, cited in Quraishi, Muzammil. Muslims and Crime: A Comparative Study, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2005, p. 60; Annan, Kofi. "Secretary-General, addressing headquarters seminar on confronting Islamophobia", United Nations press release, December 7, 2004.
  4. ^
    • Casciani, Dominic. "Islamophobia pervades UK - report", BBC News, June 2, 2004.
    • Rima Berns McGowan writes in Muslims in the Diaspora (University of Toronto Press, 1991, p. 268) that the term "Islamophobia" was first used in an unnamed American periodical in 1991.
  5. ^ a b c Malik, Kenan. "Islamophobia Myth", Prospect, February 2005. Cite error: The named reference "Malik" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ Runnymede 1997, p. 5, cited in Quraishi 2005, p. 60.
  7. ^ a b c Rushdie, Salman et al. "Writers' statement on cartoons", BBC News, March 1, 2006.
  8. ^ "Islamophobia". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Draft Entry Sept. 2006.
  9. ^ Template:PDFlink, Runnymede Trust, 1997.
  10. ^ "Islamophobia: A Definition"
  11. ^ "The 'Islamophobes' That Aren't", FrontPage Magazine, April 28, 2005.
  12. ^ a b c Allen, Chris and Nielsen, Jorgen S. "Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001", EUMC, May, 2002.
  13. ^ Annan, Kofi. "Secretary-General, addressing headquarters seminar on confronting Islamophobia", United Nations press release, December 7, 2004.
  14. ^ Muzammil Quraishi, senior lecturer in Criminology at the University of Salford, writes that "whether we refer to behaviour as 'anti-Muslimism' or 'Islamophobia' seems a moot point. If we are agreed that either term refers to behaviour encapsulating hatred, and/or dislike to the extent of social and economic exclusion of Muslims, we must move to discover the extent of such behaviour and to evaluate how this influences crime and victimization ..." (Quraishi, Muzammil. Muslims and Crime: A Comparative Study, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2005, p. 60).
  15. ^ "OIC set up observatory on Islamophobia" IslamOnline, May 9, 2006.
  16. ^ Bernd Debusmann (Dec 1, 9:05). "In U.S., fear and distrust of Muslims runs deep". Reuters. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Retrieved on Dec. 16, 2006
  17. ^ Islam 'must not cloud Turkey bid' BBC -Wednesday, 21 July, 2004
  18. ^ FRANCE: 50,000 SIGN UP AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA - ADN Kronos - June 2, 2006
  19. ^ Scheme to fight faith hate crimes BBC - Wednesday, 17 November, 2004
  20. ^ Teaching tolerance amid tension BBC - Friday, 15 July, 2005
  21. ^ Prayer mats lined the pavements BBC - Saturday, 11 February 2006
  22. ^ Muslims fly flag for peaceful protest against cartoons The Guardian - Sunday February 12, 2006
  23. ^ Call for Muslim scholars to tour BBC - Thursday, 10 November 2005
  24. ^ Racial and Religious Hatred Bill BBC - Friday, 27 January 2006
  25. ^ Religious hatred: How MPs voted BBC - Wednesday, 1 February 2006
  26. ^ Jordan: Stop attacking Islam BBC - Tuesday, September 21, 1999
  27. ^ Kuwait News Agency: Drive to combat Islamophobia
  28. ^ Racial unrest offers opportunity for discussion, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, December 20, 2005
  29. ^ The Rise of Islamophobia in ‘White Australia’, Global Research, December 14, 2005
  30. ^ Vandals target Paris mosque The Guardian - Tuesday February 22, 2005
  31. ^ Burning of sanctuary stokes fears of Islamophobia in Spain, The Guardian, April 18, 2006
  32. ^ Muslim groups want action from U of T, University of Toronto News, March 16, 2006
  33. ^ Racism and racial discrimination on rise around the world, UN expert warns, UN NEWS CENTRE, March 7, 2006
  34. ^ Islamophobia in Prisons stretches far beyond Belmarsh, Islamic Human Rights Commission, March 8, 2006
  35. ^ EU reports post-Sept. 11 racism CNN - May 24, 2002
  36. ^ Appalling Desecration of Muslim Graves in Plumstead Mulsim Council of Britain - 19 Mar 2004
  37. ^ MAB Horrified at Forest Gate Security Blunder, The Muslim Association of Britain, June 7, 2006
  38. ^ Muslims call on Police chief to resign over Forest Gate terror raid, RINF, June 11, 2006
  39. ^ ‘German loyalty tests are Islamophobic’ - The Muslim News - Friday 27 January 2006
  40. ^ Five Live survey suggests ethnic minority applicants still discriminated against in UK job market - BBC News Press Office. July 12, 2004.
  41. ^ Is Islamophobia a myth? - Prospect (magazine). January 2005.
  42. ^ Two-thirds of Muslims consider leaving UK The Guardian - Tuesday July 26, 2005
  43. ^ ICM-Guardian poll Poll of Muslims in the UK. The Guardian - Tuesday July 26, 2005
  44. ^ Spiraling Islamophobia Alienating British Muslims: Report Islam Online - Nov 22 2004
  45. ^ ... And why we urgently need new answers Sarfraz Manzoor - The Guardian - November 30, 2004
  46. ^ France to Ban Pupils' Religious Dress, YaleGlobal, December 12, 2003
  47. ^ http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/12/rapports/r1381.asp Assemblee.nationale.fr Retrieved on 05-24-07
  48. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/news/indepth/france/ BBC.co.uk Retrieved on 05-24-07
  49. ^ French parliament approves hijab ban, Al Jazeera, February 10, 2004
  50. ^ Madell, Mark. "Dutch MPs to decide on burqa ban", BBC News, January 16, 2006.
  51. ^ "Belgian Establishment Fears Crack-Up", The Flemish Republic.org newsletter, April-June 2006.
  52. ^ "New York is hell for young Osama", Reuters, June 8 2007.
  53. ^ CA Synagogue That Hosted Islamophobe Urged to Invite Muslim Speaker, CAIR News Releases, November 08, 2005
  54. ^ a b c Notes on the Ideological Patrons of an Islamophobe, Robert Spencer by Carl W. Ernst - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004 Cite error: The named reference "Ernst" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  55. ^ Ann Coulter says Muslims 'Smell Bad', Council on American-Islamic Relations, March 10, 2004
  56. ^ Rising Islamophobia makes Birmingham fertile ground for BNP, The Independent, April 8, 2006
  57. ^ Obituary of Oriana Fallaci - The Guardian, 16 September, 2006. "Controversial Italian journalist famed for her interviews and war reports but notorious for her Islamaphobia"
  58. ^ Annual Islamophobia Awards, 2003
  59. ^ "The gospel according to John (Ashcroft)" San Francisco Chronicle
  60. ^ Winners of Islamophobia Awards 2004, Islamic Human Rights Commission, June 26, 2004. *Winners of the Islamophobia Awards 2005, Islamic Human Rights Commission, December 17, 2005.
  61. ^ Filip Dewinter interview, Jewish Week, December 9, 2006
  62. ^ Who's afraid of Islamophobia?, Spiked, July 2, 2002
  63. ^ See, e.g., "Wave of Islamophobia", a blog post by John McDonnell MP from October 6, 2006.
  64. ^ Erika Howsare (12/19/2006). "Anti-Muslim letter goes out to hundreds - not all are amused". {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Retrieved Dec. 20, 2006
  65. ^ "Congressman Will Not Apologize for IslamophobiaBy The Associated Press". Associated Press. December 21, 2006. Retrieved on Dec. 21, 2006
  66. ^ Patrik Jonsson (July 20, 2005). "Raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth... on the Koran?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on Jan. 22, 2007
  67. ^ Pope prays for peace CNN - September 23, 2001
  68. ^ Jordan's Queen BBC Transcript of Breakfast with Frost. Sunday, 20 March.
  69. ^ Rudiger, Anja. "Discrimination and Legislation," session 5, Conference on "Muslims in Europe post 9/11," St. Antony's-Princeton Conference, St Antony's College, Oxford, April 26, 2004.
  70. ^ Also see the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia report, "Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001" by Chris Allen and Jorgen S. Nielsen of the University of Birmingham, May 2002, the largest monitoring project on Islamophobia to have been commissioned to date.
  71. ^ Muslim media image 'must change' BBC - Wednesday, 31 August 2005
  72. ^ Mutiny as passengers refuse to fly until Asians are removed - Mail on Sunday. 20 August, 2006
  73. ^ Exclusive: Malaga Jet mutiny pair's shock at plane ejection - The Daily Mirror. 23 August,2006.
  74. ^ Removal of men from holiday flight condemnedThe Guardian. 21 August2006
  75. ^ Muslim pilot kicked off jet in terror alert - Manchester Evening News. 11 August, 2006
  76. ^ Muslim pilot reveals shock at being ordered off flight - The Independent. 22 August, 2006
  77. ^ "U.S. Muslims outraged after imams kicked off plane", The Washington Post, 22 November, 2006.
  78. ^ a b Bunglawala, Inayat & Wahid, Abdul. "Is Islamophobia a Myth?", Prospect Magazine, March 2005.
  79. ^ Appleton, Josie. "Who's afraid of Islamophobia", Spiked Online, July 2, 2004.
  80. ^ Ellian, Afshin. "Stop Capitulating to Threats", February 2006
  81. ^ "The term Islamophobia is being used for scaremongering" - International TV interview with Bahram Soroush, June 7, 2004.
  82. ^ [1]" L'islamophobie, l'arme des islamistes contre la laïcité."
  83. ^ Hari, Johann. "Don't call me an Islamophobe", June 6, 2006.
  84. ^ a b Toynbee, Polly. "Behind the burka", The Guardian, September 28, 2001. Cite error: The named reference "Toynbee" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  85. ^ Simon Freeman (2007). "Rowan Atkinson leads crusade against religious hatred Bill" (HTML). Times Online. The Times. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  86. ^ "On Islamophobia-phobia".
  87. ^ Kimball, Roger. "After the suicide of the West", January 2006.
  88. ^ Schwartz, Stephen. "The 'Islamophobes' That Aren't", FrontPage Magazine, April 28, 2005.

Further reading