WikiIslam:Sandbox/Islamophobia - essay: Difference between revisions

From WikiIslam, the online resource on Islam
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(move here from main article)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{underconstruction}}
'''Islamophobia''' is a neologism formed from [[Islam]] and -[[phobia]]. It refers to prejudice against, hatred towards, or irrational fear of Muslims. In 1997, the British Runnymede Trust defined Islamophobia as the "dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, [the] fear and dislike of all Muslims," stating that it also refers to the practice of discriminating against Muslims by excluding them from the economic, social, and public life of the nation.
==Article notes==


This article is meant to be a strong rebuttal of the concept of Islamophobia to show its a completely invalid concept. Use "Criticism of the term Islamophobia" as the article title. (I-phobia will redirect here)
==Runnymede Trust==


Sections:
In 1994 The Runnymede Trust published A Very Light Sleeper, an antisemitism report that encouraged Brittan to defend Muslims as vehemently as it defends Jews. Three years later, the resulting Commission on British Muslims released Islamophobia: A Challenge for us All, which contained 60 suggestions for combating prejudice against Brittan's one million Muslims. According to Runnymede, the public response was "overwhelmingly positive."
* Invalidity (where the term is outright rejected)
* Misuse/Incorrect definition: Where the term is partially criticized but not rejected completely
* Freedom of Speech: Quotes related to freedom of speech


===List of Names===
"We did not coin the term Islamophobia," chairman Gordon Conway claims, "It was already being used by members of the Muslim community to describe the prejudice they face in their everyday lives." The report contends that violence and Islam are incompatible, citing western imperialism as the main impetus for terrorism. Policies of Islamic inclusion are explored in order to curtail Western resentment in the Muslim community, as well as violations of multiculturalism in the UK's military and public sector. Because these violations are intensifying in all spheres of public life, the usage of the word Islamophobia becomes necessary for the purpose of global awareness.
Keep track of names used, to eliminate duplicates:
* Paul Jackson
* Peder Are Nøstvold Jensen
* Pascal Bruckner
* Robin Richardson


===Article Tasks===
The report also criticizes regimes that are democratically deficient, but emphasizes Islam's progressiveness and equality to Anglo-Saxon culture. By nature, therefore, The Umma is a valuable ally of the west. To dismiss these points because the Quran sanctions oppression and barbarism (rendering it incompatible with Democracy) is woefully close-minded. One could aim similar censure at The Bible, where God guides Israel's expansion through bloody conquest. Islam must be disassociated with terrorism and shielded from social inequality. To achieve this, calls to reform are directed at schools, hospitals and government entities.  
* Eliminate duplicates
* confirm scholarship/acceptance of authors
* Check more random revisions on Wikipedia to see if any references were missed (may not be possible to find all since there are many). [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamophobia&offset=&limit=500&action=history Page history]
* Google search to find additional references


===Consequences of Runnymede's Report===


The 1997 report is responsible for shaping the modern definition of Islamophobia, comprised of the following:


=Criticism of the term 'Islamophobia'=
1) Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change.
2) Islam 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) Islam is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive and sexist.
4) Islam is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism and engaged in a 'clash of civilizations'.
5) Islam is seen as a political ideology and is 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 or normal


==Invalidity==
===Criticisms of Runnymede's Assessment of Islam===


The Runnymede Trust states the following: "Islam is seen as diverse and progressive, with internal debates and developments." Throughout the report, Islam's diversity is assigned virtuous connotations. A group's ethical credibility, however, is a product of its teachings, customs and interactions with other groups. High diversity does not indicate moral superiority. Likewise, being 'progressive' is different from democratic compatibility: What constitutes progress varies by culture due to separate goals. Lastly, while theological debates exist within the Muslim community, Islam's unifying features are the affirmation of The Quran's divinity and the prophethood of Mohammed. These matters are uncontested; the metaphysical core of Islam is therefore monolithic and static.


It is imperative, Runnymede says, to perceive Islam as different but not inferior. Labels such as "irrational" or "sexist" are inappropriate. Ignored is the fact that all religions are somewhat irrational; furthermore, evidence to support Islam's intellectual and social equality is absent from the report. Concerning violence against women, one could argue that a religion endorsing wife-beating is certainly sexist. Scholars are aware of this incongruity and attempt to obfuscate the verb ضرب in [[Surah An-Nisa]] (to beat, strike) through inserting adjectives and their own interpretations. [[Qur'an 4:34]]


Islam's relationship with the west is natural partnership: "The religion is peaceful, uncompetitive and condemns terrorism." Again, the commission labels only noble characteristics as truly Islamic -- a No true Scotsman argument. To only acknowledge irenic Muslims and exclude other sects is intellectually dishonest, adhering to political correctness rather than scientific examination. Indeed, if a Muslim is to be defined as one who adheres to the Quran and Sunna, there are various kinds Islam (Maliki, Sufi, Hanafi, Twelver). Certain divisions are blatantly less peaceful than others. Runnymede does little to educate readers on the multifaceted nature of Islamic thought, preferring blind tolerance to real understanding. 


=Text Dumps from Wikipedia=
===Public Presence/Statistics===
;Revisions from Wikipedia article:


===Debate on the term and its limitations===
Islamophobia predated the September 11th terrorist attacks but received little recognition until 2001. Consequentially, media's fixation on Islamic terrorism fortified (intentionally and unintentionally) Western animus towards Muslims. A study conducted in 2008 revealed that around 50% of American Muslims report feeling discriminated against, compared to 31 percent of Mormons and 25 percent of nonreligious people. In Eastern countries, 57% of people perceive the west as intolerant towards its Muslim citizenry. This same document mentions that prejudice is more prominent within less educated circles, and that Republican Party members are more likely to have unfavorable opinions concerning Islam. Nevertheless, American Muslims report higher level of assimilation when compared with Africa, Asia and Europe.  
[[Robin Richardson]], an original member of the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, at a 2009 symposium on "Islamophobia and Religious Discrimination", said that "the disadvantages of the term Islamophobia are significant" on seven different grounds, including that it implies it is merely a "severe mental illness" affecting "only a tiny minority of people"; that use of the term makes those to whom it is applied "defensive and defiant" and absolves the user of "the responsibility of trying to understand them" or trying to change their views; that it implies that hostility to Muslims is divorced from factors such as skin color, immigrant status, fear of fundamentalism, or political or economic conflicts; that it conflates prejudice against Muslims in one's own country with dislike of Muslims in countries with which the West is in conflict; that it fails to distinguish between people who are against all religion from people who dislike Islam specifically; and that the actual issue being described is hostility to Muslims, "an ethno-religious identity within European countries", rather than hostility to Islam. Nonetheless, he argued that the term is here to stay, and that it is important to define it precisely.<ref name=Richardson2009>Richardson, Robin (December 2009). {{PDFlink|[http://www.insted.co.uk/anti-muslim-racism.pdf "Islamophobia or anti-muslim racism&nbsp;– or what?"]|119&nbsp;KB}}, Insted website. Accessed December 30, 2011.</ref>


[[Johannes Kandel]], in a 2006 comment wrote that Islamophobia "is a vague term which encompasses every conceivable actual and imagined act of hostility against Muslims", and proceeds to argue that 5 of the criteria put forward by The Runnymede trust are invalid.<ref>Kandel, Johannes (August 2006). {{PDFlink|[http://www.fes.de/BerlinerAkademiegespraeche/publikationen/islamundpolitik/documents/Islamophobia.pdf Islamophobia&nbsp;– On the Career of a Controversial Term]|118&nbsp;KB}}, [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation|Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung]]</ref> Still, he recognises the term and phenomenon.
These studies are not conclusive. One study conducted by the FBI reports that Islamophobia's presence is largely imagined, and that Muslims experience far less hate crime than other prominent minorities. "FBI-tabulated incidents of anti-Islamic hate crime fell from 157 in 2011 to 130 in 2012, a decrease of 17.2 percent. Incidents of hate crime spanning all victim groups dropped by only 6.8 percent, 6,222 to 5,796."


In an article published in the June 2013 edition of [[Standpoint (magazine)|''Standpoint'']], [[Douglas Murray (author)|Douglas Murray]] argued that "the term 'Islamophobia' is so inexact that - in so far as there is a definition - it includes insult of and even inquiry into any aspect of Islam, including Muslim scripture."<ref>Douglas Murray "Forget 'Islamophobia'. Let's tackle Islamism" Standpoint, June 2013, Issue 53: p. 34</ref>
===Social Implications===


----
==See Also==


==Criticism of concept and use==
Although the term is widely recognized and used,<ref name = Routledge>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic studies p. 218, Routledge 2003|year=2003|publisher=Routledge|page=218|quote=The Runnymede Trust has been successful in that the term Islamophobia is now widely recognized and used, though many right-wing commentators either reject its existence or argue that it is justified.}}</ref> the use of the term, its construction and the concept itself have been widely criticized. Roland Imhoff and Julia Recker write that "... few concepts have been debated as heatedly over the last ten years as the term Islamophobia."<ref name=Imhoff>Imhoff, Roland & Recker, Julia [http://uni-bonn.academia.edu/RolandImhoff/Papers/544018/Differentiating_Islamophobia_Introducing_a_new_scale_to_measure_Islamoprejudice_and_Secular_Islam_Critique “Differentiating Islamophobia: Introducing a new scale to measure Islamoprejudice and Secular Islam Critique”] Journal of Political Psychology</ref> Other studies report similar widespread challenges in the use and meaning of the term.<ref name=Allen2007>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=45668|title=Islamophobia and its Consequences|author=[[Chris Allen (academic)|Chris Allen]]|journal=European Islam|publisher=Centre for European Policy Studies|year=2007|pages=144 to 167}}</ref><ref name=Cesari2006>{{Cite web|url=http://www.euro-islam.info/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/securitization_and_religious_divides_in_europe.pdf|title=Muslims in Western Europe After 9/11:Why the term Islamophobia is more a predicament than an explanation|author=Jocelyne Cesari|date=December 15 and 16 2006}}</ref>


[[Salman Rushdie]] criticized the coinage of the word 'Islamophobia' saying that it "was an addition to the vocabulary of Humpty Dumpty Newspeak. It took the language of analysis, reason and dispute, and stood it on its head".<ref>http://www.carvaka4india.com/2012/10/joseph-anton-salman-rushdie-and.html: "Joseph Anton: A Memoir", Page 344-346, Jonathan Cape, 2012</ref>


===Academic debate===
{{Hub4|Phobia|Phobia}}
Paul Jackson, in a critical study of the anti-Islamic [[English Defence League]], argues that the term Islamophobia creates a stereotype where “any criticism of Muslim societies [can be] dismissed ...” The term feeds “a language of polarised polemics ... to close down discussion on genuine areas of criticism ...” Consequently, the term is “losing much [of its] analytical value".<ref name=JacksonStudy>{{Cite book|url=http://www.radicalism-new-media.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The_EDL_Britains_New_Far_Right_Social_Movement.pdf|title=The EDL: Britain's 'New Far Right' Social Movement|last=Jackson|first=Paul|publisher=RMN Publications, University of Northampton|pages=10–11|year=2001|accessdate=28 June 2012}}</ref>


A book by [[David Horowitz]] and [[Robert Spencer (author)]] titled Islamophobia: Thought Crime of the Totalitarian future tries to analyze the concept of Islamophobia. The book states that in 2009 the Obama Administration departed from other western nations to support Egypt in UN's Human Rights Council Resolution to recognize exceptions to free speech for any negative "racial and religious stereotyping." The Egyptian ambassador to the UN said that he observed that the freedom of expression and speech has been misused sometimes and laws are required to understand the true nature of this right. The US ambassador praised this idea of a "Joint Project with Egypt" as an attempt to respect dignity of all human beings. The authors add that this attitude was troublesome as the US ambassador praised the attack on free speech. Hillary Clinton also reaffirmed this attitude considered troublesome by the authors when she commented on the "false divide that pits religious sensitivities against religious freedom". Authors add that from view of muslims and islamic states this is not about "religious sensitivities" but about "religious obligations". In a column to the above statements from Obama Administration Professor Jonathan Turley of George Washington University wrote "Just Say No To Blasphemy Laws". Jonathan Turley adds “Thinly disguised blasphemy laws are often defended as necessary to protect the ideals of tolerance and pluralism. They ignore the fact that the laws achieve tolerance through the ultimate act of intolerance: criminalizing the ability of some individuals to denounce sacred or sensitive values. We do not need free speech to protect popular thoughts or popular people. It is designed to protect those who challenge the majority and its institutions.” Turley concluded: “Criticism of religion is the very measure of the guarantee of free speech – the literal sacred institution of society.” The above statements by Jonathan Turley are recorded in the book. The authors of the book also state that "Islamophobia" is dedicated to the secular left and its campaign to impose stigma on to its opponents by assigning "repugnant terms" to them like racist. Thus the left has sponsored the creation of the thought crime "Islamophobia". The authors also hold the view that "Islamophobia is the perfect totalitarian doctrine. It is the first step in outlawing freedom of speech and then freedom itself in name of religious tolerance"<ref>http://frontpagemag.com/upload/pamphlets/Islamophobia.pdf Pages 72-75</ref>
[[Category:Terms and Definitions]]
 
[[Category:Logical fallacies]]
<ref>http://frontpagemag.com/upload/pamphlets/Islamophobia.pdf</ref>
 
 
===Political polemics===
Other critics argue that the term conflates criticism of "Islamic totalitarianism" with hatred of Muslims.
 
In the wake of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]], a group of 12 writers, including novelist [[Salman Rushdie]], signed a manifesto entitled [[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism|''Together facing the new totalitarianism'']] in the French weekly satirical newspaper ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'', warning against the use of the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of "[[Islamic totalitarianism]]".<ref name=Rushdie>"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 stigmatisation of those who believe in it." [[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><ref name=autogenerated2>[[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> 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."<ref name=Benn>[http://newhumanist.org.uk/524 "On Islamophobia-phobia"].</ref>
 
Alan Posener and Alan Johnson have written that, while the idea of Islamophobia is sometimes misused, those who claim that hatred of Muslims is justified as opposition to Islamism actually undermine the struggle against Islamism.<ref name=Johnson20110306>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/alan-johnson/idea-‘islamophobia’|title=The Idea of 'Islamophobia'|author=Alan Johnson|date=6 Mar 2011|publisher=World Affairs}}</ref> [[Roger Kimball]] argues that the word “Islamophobia” is inherently a prohibition or fear of criticizing of [[radical Islam]].<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> According to [[Pascal Bruckner]], the term was invented by [[Islamic fundamentalism in Iran|Iranian fundamentalists]] in the late 1970s analogous to "[[xenophobia]]" in order to denounce what he feels is legitimate criticism of Islam as racism.<ref name="The invention of Islamophobia">[[Pascal Bruckner]]: [http://www.signandsight.com/features/2123.html ''The invention of Islamophobia''], [[signandsight.com]], 3 January 2011, retrieved 29 September 2012; originally published in French in [[Libération]]: [http://www.liberation.fr/societe/01012303767-l-invention-de-l-islamophobie ''L’invention de l’«islamophobie»''], 23 November 2010</ref> The author [[Sam Harris (author)#Islam and Muslims|Sam Harris]] has called islamophobia an invented psychological disorder.<ref>[[Sam Harris (author)|Harris, Sam]] (August 13, 2010). [http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-13/ground-zero-mosque/3/ "What Obama Got Wrong About the Mosque"]. ''[[The Daily Beast]]''.</ref>
===The Associated Press===
In December of 2012, media sources reported that the term Islamophobia would no longer be included in the [[AP Stylebook]], and Deputy Standards Editor Dave Minthorn expressed concern about the usage of the phrase in news articles.<ref name=APNixes>{{cite news|title= AP Nixes 'homophobia', 'ethnic cleansing' |Author=Dylan Byers|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/11/ap-nixes-homophobia-ethnic-cleansing-150315.html|newspaper=Politico|date=26 December 2012|accessdate=5 June 2013}}</ref> Minthorn stated that AP decided that the term should not be used in articles with political or social contexts because it implies an understanding of the mental state of another individual. The term no longer appears on the online stylebook, and Minthorn believes journalists should employ more precise phrases to avoid "acribing a mental disability to someone".<ref name=huffpogay>{{cite news|title= The Associated Press and Terms Like'Homophobia'|author=Warren J. Blumenfeld|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-j-blumenfeld/the-associated-press-and-terms-like-homophobia_b_2235169.html|newspaper= Huffington Post|date= 5 December 2012|accessdate=6 June 2013}}</ref>
 
 
==Criticism of meaning and purpose==
Although the term is widely recognized and used,<ref name = Routledge>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic studies p. 218, Routledge 2003|year=2003|publisher=Routledge|page=218|quote=The Runnymede Trust has been successful in that the term Islamophobia is now widely recognized and used, though many right-wing commentators either reject its existence or argue that it is justified.}}</ref> the use of the term, its construction and the concept itself have been criticized.
 
===Definition===
Some scholars have criticized the term as vague, overly broad or misleading. In his 2010 book ''Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend'', Andrew Shryock states that applying the term "is an exercise in negative characterization, a fact that makes [it] invaluable for political purposes, but potentially misleading for analytical and interpretive ones".<ref>Shryock, Andrew (2010). ''Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend''. [[Indiana University Press]]. p. 3.</ref> Writing in ''[[American Behavioral Scientist]]'', Erik Bleich similarly states "there is no widely accepted definition of Islamophobia that permits systematic comparative and causal analysis".<ref name="Bleich">Bleich, Erik (December 2011). [http://abs.sagepub.com/content/55/12/1581.abstract "What Is Islamophobia and How Much Is There? Theorizing and Measuring an Emerging Comparative Concept"], ''[[American Behavioral Scientist]]'', vol. 55 no. 12, pp. 1581-1600.</ref> Johannes Kandel writes that it "is a vague term which encompasses every conceivable actual and imagined act of hostility against Muslims".<ref>Kandel, Johannes (August 2006). {{PDFlink|[http://www.fes.de/BerlinerAkademiegespraeche/publikationen/islamundpolitik/documents/Islamophobia.pdf Islamophobia – On the Career of a Controversial Term]|118&nbsp;KB}}, [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation|Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung]]</ref> At a 2009 symposium on "Islamophobia and Religious Discrimination", Robin Richardson, an original member of the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, argued that "the disadvantages of the term Islamophobia are significant" on seven different grounds, including that it implies it is merely a "severe mental illness" affecting "only a tiny minority of people"; that use of the term makes those to whom it is applied "defensive and defiant" and absolves the user of "the responsibility of trying to understand them" or trying to change their views; that it implies that hostility to Muslims is divorced from factors such as skin color, immigrant status, fear of fundamentalism, or political or economic conflicts; that it conflates prejudice against Muslims in one's own country with dislike of Muslims in countries with which the West is in conflict; that it fails to distinguish between people who are against all religion from people who dislike Islam specifically; and that the actual issue being described is hostility to Muslims, "an ethno-religious identity within European countries", rather than hostility to Islam.<ref name=Richardson2009/>
 
===Categorisation===
 
Some critics argue that Islamophobia is real but is just another form of racism and does not require its own category.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/jan/12/race.religion | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Islamophobia should be as unacceptable as racism | date=2004-01-12 | accessdate=2010-05-05 | first=Faisal | last=Bodi}}</ref> In a 2008 article in the "Journal of Political Ideologies" Jose P. Zuquete argues that Islamophobia is a catch-all term that should be avoided. Islamophobia places under the broad umbrella of 'fear or hatred of Islam' discourses and criticisms that may have distinct sources, motivations and goals. He argues instead for the use of "anti-Islamic" (because it distinguishes between different discourses about Islam).{{cn|date=July 2012}} The concept of Islamophobia as formulated by Runnymede is similarly criticized by professor [[Fred Halliday]] on several levels. He writes that the target of hostility in the modern era is not Islam and its tenets as much as it is Muslims, suggesting that a more accurate term would be "Anti-Muslimism." He also states that strains and types of prejudice against Islam and Muslims vary across different nations and cultures, which is not recognized in the Runnymede analysis.<ref name="Aldridge1">{{Cite book| last=Aldridge |first=Alan |title=Religion in the Contemporary World: A Sociological Introduction |date=February 1, 2000 |publisher=Polity Press |isbn=978-0-7456-2083-1 |page=138 }}</ref> Poole responds that many Islamophobic discourses attack what they perceive to be Islam's tenets, while Miles and Brown write that Islamophobia is usually based upon negative stereotypes about Islam which are then translated into attacks on Muslims. They also argue that "the existence of different ‘Islamophobias’ does not invalidate the concept of Islamophobia any more than the existence of different racisms invalidates the concept of racism."<ref name="MB165">Miles; Brown (2003) pp. 165–166</ref><ref>Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies (2003)p. 219</ref>
 
Some denounce the concept altogether. ''[[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... ...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> [[Sam Harris (author)|Sam Harris]]<ref>See also [[Sam_Harris_(author)#Islam_and_Muslims|Sam Harris' views on Islam]].</ref> has stated that "apologists for Islam have even sought to defend their faith from criticism by inventing a psychological disorder known as 'Islamophobia'." He states that bigotry and racism are "evils" that must be opposed, and that "prejudice against Muslims or Arabs, purely because of the accident of their birth, is despicable", but argues that "it is not a form of bigotry or racism to observe that the specific tenets of the faith pose a special threat to civil society. Nor is it a sign of intolerance to notice when people are simply not being honest about what they and their coreligionists believe."<ref>[[Sam Harris (author)|Harris, Sam]] (August 13, 2010). [http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-13/ground-zero-mosque/3/ "What Obama Got Wrong About the Mosque"]. ''[[The Daily Beast]]''.</ref>
 
===Misuse ===
Paul Jackson, in his critical study of the anti-Islamic [[English Defence League]], argues that the term Islamophobia creates a stereotype where “any criticism of Muslim societies [can be] dismissed ...” The term feeds “a language of polarised polemics ... to close down discussion on genuine areas of criticism ...” Consequently, the term is “losing much [of its] analytical value.<ref name=JacksonStudy>{{cite book|url=http://www.radicalism-new-media.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The_EDL_Britains_New_Far_Right_Social_Movement.pdf|title=The EDL: Britain's 'New Far Right' Social Movement|last=Jackson|first=Paul|publisher=RMN Publications, University of Northampton|pages=10-11|year=2001|accessdate=28 June 2012}}</ref> [[Johann Hari]] argues that authentic Islamophobia exists, and consists of the "notion that Islam is a uniquely evil religion, more inherently war-like and fanatical than Christianity or Judaism or the other primitive delusions." However, he criticizes how organizations like [[Islamophobia Watch]] use the term, stating that they "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."<ref name=Hari>He writes: While Islamophobia Watch talk about defending Muslims, they end up defending the nastiest and most right-wing part of the [[Ummah|Muslim community]] – the ones who are oppressing and killing the rest."- Hari, Johann. [http://johannhari.com/2006/06/06/don-t-call-me-an-islamophobe/ "Don't call me an Islamophobe"], June 6, 2006.</ref>
 
Other critics argue that the term conflates criticism of "Islamic totalitarianism" with hatred of Muslims. In the wake of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]], a group of 12 writers, including novelist [[Salman Rushdie]], signed a manifesto entitled [[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism|''Together facing the new totalitarianism'']] in the French weekly satirical newspaper ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'', warning against the use of the term Islamophobia to prevent criticism of "[[Islamic totalitarianism]]".<ref name=Rushdie>"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 stigmatisation of those who believe in it." [[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><ref name=autogenerated2>[[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> [[Daniel Pipes]] says that "'Islamophobia' deceptively conflates two distinct phenomena: fear of Islam and fear of radical Islam."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pipes |first=Daniel |url=http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3075 |date=2005-10-25 |title=Islamophobia? |work=[[New York Sun]]}}</ref> 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."<ref name=Benn>[http://newhumanist.org.uk/524 "On Islamophobia-phobia"].</ref>
 
 
 
==Misc - ==
 
According to [[Peder Are Nøstvold Jensen]], "“Islamophobia” is a meaningless term. Just like the word “racism,” it is mainly used to harass Europeans and intimidate them into silence and submission in the face of the tsunami of mass immigration currently engulfing their countries."<ref>[[Fjordman]]: [http://frontpagemag.com/2012/fjordman/irrational-fear-of-islam/ Irrational Fear of Islam?], frontpagemag.com, 2 Octber 2012, retrieved 3 October 2012</ref>
 
According to [[Pascal Bruckner]], the term was invented by [[Islamic fundamentalism in Iran|Iranian fundamentalists]] in the late 1970s analogous to "[[xenophobia]]" in order to exempt Islam from criticism.<ref name="The invention of Islamophobia"/>
 
 
 
==Views==
(taken from this revision [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamophobia&diff=322752514&oldid=322750564#Views])
[[Image:Salman Rushdie by Kubik 01.JPG|left|thumb|170px|[[Salman Rushdie]] was one of 12 writers who signed a statement regarding Islamophobia; "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 stigmatisation of those who believe in it."<ref name=Rushdie/>]]
 
The concept of Islamophobia has been criticized on several grounds.<ref>[http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/816 Muslims Create Islamophobes, Then Want Islamophobes Punished | The Brussels Journal<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">[http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/01/10/islamophobia-as-an-excuse-to-silence-critics-of-islam.htm Islamophobia as an Excuse to Silence Critics of Islam?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://michellemalkin.com/2006/09/28/critics-of-islam-under-fireagain/ Michelle Malkin » Critics of Islam under fire…again<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some critics argue that it is real, but is just another form of racism and does not require its own category,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/jan/12/race.religion Faisal Bodi: Islamophobia is as wrong as racism | Politics | The Guardian<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> while others argue that it is used to censor criticism, that its use threatens [[free speech]],<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060819/ai_n16669355 Tyranny begins with self-censorship | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> or is used to silence issues relating to Muslim populations in Western countries<ref>Burleigh, M (2009) Blood and Rage, A Cultural History of Terrorism, Harper Perennial, P440</ref>
 
Novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] and others signed a manifesto entitled [[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism|''Together facing the new totalitarianism'']] in March 2006 which denounced Islamophobia as "a wretched concept."<ref name=Rushdie>"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 stigmatisation of those who believe in it." [[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 academic [[Michael Burleigh]] argues that the term 'spares anyone the need to examine what has gone wrong within [Europe's Muslim] communities'<ref>Burleigh, M (2009) Blood and Rage, A Cultural History of Terrorism, Harper Perennial, P440</ref>. Some opponents argue that Islamophobia is justified.<ref name = Routledge/> Others, such as [[Edward Said]], consider Islamophobia as it is evinced in [[Orientalism]] to be a 'secret sharer' in a more general antisemitic Western tradition<ref>Edward W.Said, ''Orientalism'', Pantheon Books, New York 1978 pp.27-28</ref><ref>Edward W. Said, ‘Orientalism Reconsidered’ in Francis Barker, Peter Hulme, Margaret Iversen, Diana Loxley (eds),'' Literature, Politics, and Theory,'' Methuen & Co, London 1986 pp.210-229, pp.220f. </ref><ref>Bryan Stanley Turner, introd. to Bryan S. Turner (ed.) ''Orientalism: Early Sources'', (Vol 1, Readings in Orientalism), Routledge, London (2000) reprint 2002 p.12</ref> However, [[Daniel Pipes]] says that "'Islamophobia' deceptively conflates two distinct phenomena: fear of Islam and fear of radical Islam."<ref>{{cite news |last=Pipes |first=Daniel |url=http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3075 |date=2005-10-25 |title=Islamophobia? |work=[[New York Sun]]}}</ref>
 
The concept of Islamophobia as formulated by Runnymede is criticized by professor [[Fred Halliday]] on several levels. He writes that the target of hostility in the modern era is not Islam and its tenets as much as it is Muslims and their actions, suggesting that a more accurate term would be "Anti-Muslimism."<ref name="Aldridge1">{{cite book
|last=Aldridge
|first=Alan
|title=Religion in the Contemporary World: A Sociological Introduction
|date=February 1, 2000
|publisher=Polity Press
|isbn=978-0745620831
|pages=138
}}</ref> Poole responds by noting that many Islamophobic discourses attack what they perceive to be Islam's tenets, while Miles and Brown write that Islamophobia is usually based upon negative stereotypes about Islam which are then translated into attacks on Muslims.<ref name="MB165">Miles; Brown (2003) pp. 165-166</ref><ref>Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies (2003)p. 219</ref> Halliday also states that strains and types of prejudice against Islam and Muslims vary across different nations and cultures, which is not recognized in the Runnymede analysis. Miles and Brown respond by arguing that "the existence of different ‘Islamophobias’ does not invalidate the concept of Islamophobia any more than the existence of different racisms invalidates the concept of racism."<ref name="MB165"/> Halliday argues that the concept of Islamophobia unwittingly plays into the hands of extremists.<ref name="Aldridge1"/>
 
British writer and academic [[Kenan Malik]] believes that the charge of Islamophobia confuses discrimination against Muslims with criticism of Islam, and that it is used to silence critics and Muslim reformers. He writes that the extent to which Muslims are more vulnerable to social exclusion and attacks than other groups is frequently and allows for a culture of victimhood, where all failings are attributed to Islamophobia. Islamophobia is not a form of racism, in his view, because Islam is a belief system.<ref name=Malik>Malik, Kenan.[http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=6679 "Islamophobia Myth"], Prospect, February 2005.</ref> This analysis is 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, without recognizing less overt forms of prejudice or discrimination. By ignoring non-violent examples of Islamophobia, Malik's commentary "makes a mockery of victims of prejudice by pretending they have not been discriminated against," according to Bunglawala.<ref name=Bunglawala/>
 
In the wake of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]], a group of 12 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.<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> These views are shared by Dutch law professor [[Afshin Ellian]].<ref name="Ellian">[[Afshin Ellian|Ellian, Afshin]]. [http://kvc.minbuza.nl/uk/current/2006/february/ellian.html "Stop Capitulating to Threats"], February 2006</ref> Critics cite 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]], for claiming that Islam "... imposes harsh regimes that deny the most [[Human rights|basic human rights]]."<ref name=Toynbee>Toynbee, Polly. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,563618,00.html "Last chance to speak out"], ''The Guardian'', October 5, 2001.</ref>
 
In an article called "Fighting Islamophobia: A Response to Critics", Assistant Professor [[Deepa Kumar]] writes that the modern-day demonization of Arabs and Muslims by US politicians and others is racist and Islamophobic, and employed in support of an unjust war. About the public impact of this rhetoric, she says that "One of the consequences of the relentless attacks on Islam and Muslims by politicians and the media is that Islamophobic sentiment is on the rise." She also chides some "people on the left" for using the same "Islamophobic logic as the Bush regime". She concludes with the statement "At times like this, people of conscience need to organize and speak out against Islamophobia."<ref name="Fighting Islamophobia">[http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/kumar030406.html Fighting Islamophobia: A Response to Critics] - Deepa Kumar, MRZine, February 2006</ref> 
 
[[Johann Hari]] of ''[[The Independent]]'' has criticized the use of the term by organizations like [[Islamophobia Watch]], arguing that [[Liberal movements within Islam|liberal Muslims]] interested in reform are left unsupported because people fear being accused of Islamophobia.<ref name=Hari>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 [[Ummah|Muslim community]] – the ones who are oppressing and killing the rest."- Hari, Johann. [http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=897 "Don't call me an Islamophobe"], June 6, 2006.</ref> 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."<ref name=Benn>[http://newhumanist.org.uk/524 "On Islamophobia-phobia"].</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... ...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>
 
[[John Denham (politician)|John Denham]] has drawn parallels between modern Islamophobia and the [[antisemitism]] of the 1930s.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6832035.ece The Times: Fascism fears: John Denham speaks out over clashes]</ref> So has [[Maud Olofsson]]<ref>[http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_3674445.svd SvD: Reinfeldt: Kärnan i partiets idé]</ref> and professor [[Jan Hjärpe]].<ref>[http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_3674029.svd SvD: Sverigedemokrat till hårt angrepp mot muslimsk ideologi i tal]</ref>
 
 
 
 
 
 
==References==
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 00:25, 28 February 2014

Islamophobia is a neologism formed from Islam and -phobia. It refers to prejudice against, hatred towards, or irrational fear of Muslims. In 1997, the British Runnymede Trust defined Islamophobia as the "dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, [the] fear and dislike of all Muslims," stating that it also refers to the practice of discriminating against Muslims by excluding them from the economic, social, and public life of the nation.

Runnymede Trust

In 1994 The Runnymede Trust published A Very Light Sleeper, an antisemitism report that encouraged Brittan to defend Muslims as vehemently as it defends Jews. Three years later, the resulting Commission on British Muslims released Islamophobia: A Challenge for us All, which contained 60 suggestions for combating prejudice against Brittan's one million Muslims. According to Runnymede, the public response was "overwhelmingly positive."

"We did not coin the term Islamophobia," chairman Gordon Conway claims, "It was already being used by members of the Muslim community to describe the prejudice they face in their everyday lives." The report contends that violence and Islam are incompatible, citing western imperialism as the main impetus for terrorism. Policies of Islamic inclusion are explored in order to curtail Western resentment in the Muslim community, as well as violations of multiculturalism in the UK's military and public sector. Because these violations are intensifying in all spheres of public life, the usage of the word Islamophobia becomes necessary for the purpose of global awareness.

The report also criticizes regimes that are democratically deficient, but emphasizes Islam's progressiveness and equality to Anglo-Saxon culture. By nature, therefore, The Umma is a valuable ally of the west. To dismiss these points because the Quran sanctions oppression and barbarism (rendering it incompatible with Democracy) is woefully close-minded. One could aim similar censure at The Bible, where God guides Israel's expansion through bloody conquest. Islam must be disassociated with terrorism and shielded from social inequality. To achieve this, calls to reform are directed at schools, hospitals and government entities.

Consequences of Runnymede's Report

The 1997 report is responsible for shaping the modern definition of Islamophobia, comprised of the following:

1) Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change. 2) Islam 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) Islam is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive and sexist. 4) Islam is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism and engaged in a 'clash of civilizations'. 5) Islam is seen as a political ideology and is 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 or normal

Criticisms of Runnymede's Assessment of Islam

The Runnymede Trust states the following: "Islam is seen as diverse and progressive, with internal debates and developments." Throughout the report, Islam's diversity is assigned virtuous connotations. A group's ethical credibility, however, is a product of its teachings, customs and interactions with other groups. High diversity does not indicate moral superiority. Likewise, being 'progressive' is different from democratic compatibility: What constitutes progress varies by culture due to separate goals. Lastly, while theological debates exist within the Muslim community, Islam's unifying features are the affirmation of The Quran's divinity and the prophethood of Mohammed. These matters are uncontested; the metaphysical core of Islam is therefore monolithic and static.

It is imperative, Runnymede says, to perceive Islam as different but not inferior. Labels such as "irrational" or "sexist" are inappropriate. Ignored is the fact that all religions are somewhat irrational; furthermore, evidence to support Islam's intellectual and social equality is absent from the report. Concerning violence against women, one could argue that a religion endorsing wife-beating is certainly sexist. Scholars are aware of this incongruity and attempt to obfuscate the verb ضرب in Surah An-Nisa (to beat, strike) through inserting adjectives and their own interpretations. Qur'an 4:34

Islam's relationship with the west is natural partnership: "The religion is peaceful, uncompetitive and condemns terrorism." Again, the commission labels only noble characteristics as truly Islamic -- a No true Scotsman argument. To only acknowledge irenic Muslims and exclude other sects is intellectually dishonest, adhering to political correctness rather than scientific examination. Indeed, if a Muslim is to be defined as one who adheres to the Quran and Sunna, there are various kinds Islam (Maliki, Sufi, Hanafi, Twelver). Certain divisions are blatantly less peaceful than others. Runnymede does little to educate readers on the multifaceted nature of Islamic thought, preferring blind tolerance to real understanding.

Public Presence/Statistics

Islamophobia predated the September 11th terrorist attacks but received little recognition until 2001. Consequentially, media's fixation on Islamic terrorism fortified (intentionally and unintentionally) Western animus towards Muslims. A study conducted in 2008 revealed that around 50% of American Muslims report feeling discriminated against, compared to 31 percent of Mormons and 25 percent of nonreligious people. In Eastern countries, 57% of people perceive the west as intolerant towards its Muslim citizenry. This same document mentions that prejudice is more prominent within less educated circles, and that Republican Party members are more likely to have unfavorable opinions concerning Islam. Nevertheless, American Muslims report higher level of assimilation when compared with Africa, Asia and Europe.

These studies are not conclusive. One study conducted by the FBI reports that Islamophobia's presence is largely imagined, and that Muslims experience far less hate crime than other prominent minorities. "FBI-tabulated incidents of anti-Islamic hate crime fell from 157 in 2011 to 130 in 2012, a decrease of 17.2 percent. Incidents of hate crime spanning all victim groups dropped by only 6.8 percent, 6,222 to 5,796."

Social Implications

See Also

  • Phobia - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Phobia
Retrieved from "http://wikiislamica.net/index.php?title=WikiIslam:Sandbox/Islamophobia_-_essay&oldid=104807"