Islamophobia

Encyclopedia : I : IS : ISL : Islamophobia

The [Neutral point of view>neutrality] of this article is [NPOV disputedisputed]. Please see the discussion on the [neologism with no agreed definition. For example, the 2003 edition of the New Oxford Dictionary of English refers to Islamophobia as "hatred or fear of Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force" while Princeton University's "Word Net" defines Islamophobia as "prejudice against Muslims"[Word Net search for Islamophobia] - Princeton University . The term, which is known to date back to 1991, became prominent in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[Islamaphobia: Can we stop the backlash?] BBC - Friday, 21 September, 2001[UK 'Islamophobia' rises after 11 September] BBC - Thursday, 29 August, 2002[Islamophobia 'explosion' in UK] BBC - Friday, 24 May, 2002[Pledge to wipe out Islamophobia] BBC - Saturday, 29 September, 2001 The concept of Islamophobia has attracted some controversy, and a number of writers, journalists, and intellectuals including Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, have criticized it for allegedly confusing the criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers[MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism], BBC News, March 1, 2006. Others such as Jonathan Steele[The Media, Islamophobia and the war on terror]., Tariq Ali [This is the real outrage] Tariq Ali - 13 February 2006 and Tariq Ramadan [Tariq Ramadan by Ehsan Masood] - Prospect Magazine - July 2006. do not reject the concept, but differ to how it is manifest, and how "Islamophobia" can be stopped. Contents 1 History of the term 2 Characterizations 2.1 Council of Europe 2.2 Runnymede Trust 2.3 Stephen Schwartz 2.4 FAIR - Forum against Islamophobia and Racism 2.5 Roger Hardy, BBC 2.6 Dr Abduljalil Sajid 3 EUMC's \"Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001\" 4 Use in public discourse and examples 4.1 Efforts against Islamophobia 4.2 References to acts attributed to Islamophobia 4.3 References to views labeled as Islamophobic 4.4 General references in connection to Islamophobia 5 Criticisms of the concept and usage of the term 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History of the term The term is formed with the Greek suffix -phobia 'fear of -' in a similar way to xenophobia or homophobia. It reflects the influence of such 1990s movements as multiculturalism and identity politics. During this period, some sociologists and cultural analysts argued that there was a shift in forms of prejudice from ones based on race to ones based on notions of cultural superiority and otherness.[Religion as a fig leaf for racism], Jeremy Seabrook, The Guardian, 23 July 2004[Discrimination and Legislation - Response of Dr. Anya Rudiger] from Discrimination and Legislation session of Muslims in Europe post 9/11 conference, 2003-04-26, St Antony's College, Oxford Characterizations Council of Europe The Council of Europe defines Islamophobia as "the fear of or prejudiced viewpoint towards Islam, Muslims and matters pertaining to them". [Council Of Europe synopsis for book entitled "Islamophobia and its consequences on Young People"] Runnymede Trust This graph from the Runnymede Trust tries to visually summarize all aspects of Islamophobia. In the United Kingdom, the term “Islamophobia” was not used in government policy until 1997, when the UK race relations think tank Runnymede Trust published the report Islamophobia: A Challenge For Us All.[Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All] Runnymede Trust, 1997 In a section entitled The Nature of Islamophobia, the report itemizes eight features that Runnymede attributed to Islamophobia: Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive to change. 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. Islam is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as barbaric, irrational, primitive, and sexist. Islam is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of terrorism, and engaged in a Clash of Civilizations. Islam is seen as a political ideology, used for political or military advantage. Criticisms made of 'the West' by Islam are rejected out of hand. Hostility towards Islam is used to justify discriminatory practices towards Muslims and exclusion of Muslims from mainstream society. Anti-Muslim hostility is seen as natural and normal. A critic of the Runnymede definition, British columnist Josie Appleton, criticized the definition given by the Runnymede Trust thusly: This Runnymede report talked about a rising 'anti-Muslim prejudice' that needed addressing in policy. But the section titled 'The nature of Islamophobia' suggests a very broad notion of prejudice — examples of Islamophobia included people seeing Islam as inferior to the West, rather than just distinctively different; seeing Islam as monolithic and static, rather than diverse and progressive; seeing Islam as an enemy, rather than a partner to cooperate with (7). This also seemed to be founded on an over-sensitivity, an attempt to stem any kind of criticism of Islam. Rather than engage Muslims in debate, non-Muslims are supposed to tiptoe around them, for fear of causing offence. Since 11 September we have seen how this attitude can stifle discussion. UK researcher Chris Allen has not rejected the concept of Islamophobia but has criticised the primary theory, concept and definition of Islamophobia—that of the Runnymede Trust—as naïve and over‐simplified.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The Runnymede Trust issued a report in 2004 which said that Islamophobia had become institutional in many Public bodies.[Islamophobia pervades UK - report] BBC - Wednesday, 2 June, 2004 Stephen Schwartz American journalist and Muslim convert Stephen Schwartz believes that Islamophobia consists of the following: attacking the entire religion of Islam as a problem for the world; condemning all of Islam and its history as extremist; denying the active existence, in the contemporary world, of a moderate Muslim majority; insisting that Muslims accede to the demands of non-Muslims for theological changes in their religion; treating all conflicts involving Muslims as the fault of Muslims themselves; and inciting war against Islam as a whole. Schwartz suggests that Islamophobia, so defined, actually exists, though individuals are often accused of it without justification. FAIR - Forum against Islamophobia and Racism The UK based Forum against Islamophobia and Racism defines Islamophobia on its Website. It says[Defining Islamophobia-PDF] Forum against Islamophobia and Racism: "Islamophobia is the fear, hatred or hostility directed towards Islam and Muslims. Islamophobia affects all aspects of Muslim life and can be expressed in several ways, including: attacks, abuse and violence against Muslims attacks on mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim cemeteries discrimination in education, employment, housing, and delivery of goods and services lack of provisions and respect for Muslims in public institutions." Roger Hardy, BBC Roger Hardy, the BBCs Islamic affairs analyst, defines Islamophobia as "fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims". [BBC - "Healing the cartoon row wounds"] Dr Abduljalil Sajid Dr Abduljalil Sajid (Brighton Islamic Mission, member of the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia and chair of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony UK) defined the term 'Islamophobia', a word that was first used in print in 1991, by quoting extracts from the 1997 Runnymede Trust report, which provided the first official definition of the term as unfounded hostility towards Islam, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims. [Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: two sides of the same coin?], Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust Discussion meeting, April 7, 2005 EUMC's \"Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001\" The largest monitoring project ever to be commissioned into "Islamophobia" was undertaken following 9/11 by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). From a total of 75 reports – 15 from each EU member nation - a synthesis report was published in May 2002. Entitled 'Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001' [Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001], EUMC, May, 2002 it was co-authored by Chris Allen[link] and Jorgen S. Nielsen at the University of Birmingham, England. The report highlighted the regularity with which ordinary Muslims became targets for abusive and sometimes violent retaliatory attacks, all of which were seemingly becoming more extreme and accepted. According to the report, despite localised differences within each member nation, the recurrence of attacks at street level upon recognisable and visible traits of Islam and Muslims was the report's most significant finding. These attacks took such form as the following: verbal abuse indiscriminately blaming all Muslims for terrorist attacks; women having their hijab torn from their heads; male and female Muslims being spat at; children being called 'Usama' as a term of insult and derision; and random assaults, which on one occasion, left a victim paralysed and others hospitalised. The representation of Muslims in the media was also noted. Whilst some media initially attempted to differentiate Muslims, this was not always the norm. Inherent negativity, stereotypical images, fantastical representations and grossly exaggerated caricatures were all readily identifiable, drawing upon pre-9/11 established norms to locate further justification and resonance within the media’s audiences. Similar concerns about the role of politicians and other opinion leaders were also raised. Within the mainstream of political activity, some political leaders made immediate verbal statements stressing the need to differentiate between 'Muslims' and 'terrorists'. In Portugal however, political leaders remained silent. In some other countries, mainstream political leaders were much more vocal and emotionally charged as regards anti-Muslim rhetoric, with both Italy and Denmark being earmarked in the report. 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' . This should be summarized and included in a section somewhere. It shouldn't be a section of its own Use in public discourse and examples The term most often appears in discourse on the condition of immigrant Muslims living as minorities in the United States, Europe, and Australia, although it has also been used in recent years in countries such as India, and occasionally in connection with non-immigrant Muslim communities or individuals. In the most prominent cases, however, experiences of immigrant communities of unemployment, rejection, alienation, and violence have allegedly [[Citing sourcescitations needed]] combined with Islamophobia to make integration difficult. [Islam and Muslims in Europe], Tariq Ramadan, Equal Voices, issue 10, published by European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) Maleiha Malik has argued that this has led, in the United Kingdom, to Muslim communities suffering higher levels of unemployment, poor housing, poor health, and higher levels of racially motivated violence than other communities. [Discrimination and Legislation] from Muslims in Europe post 9/11 conference, 2003-04-26, St Antony's College, Oxford Since September 11, 2001, given the strong association between Arabs and the religion of Islam, Islamophobia is sometimes expressed as a form of anti-Arab racism. In the UK, Chris Allen has argued that whilst 'anti-Arab' sentiment is quite rare, Islamophobia has been to some degree transitory: a form of 'new' or 'cultural' racism that has seen the markers of discrimination shift from those of race to those of religion. In Germany, the majority of victims have not been Arabs, but rather are from Turkey,[The next holocaust], New Statesman, December 5, 2005 perhaps the most secular Islamic country. Anti-Muslim bias has also occasionally been expressed in violent attacks on Sikhs who were mistaken for Muslims on account of their distinctive turbans.[Vigilance goes too far] Newsmax - 16th May 2006 It has been argued that Islamophobia also exists in India. These claims are based upon a definition [[Citing sourcescitations needed]] of Islamophobia that is more associated with communal politics in India, although accusations of the denigration of Islamic culture and history are also present.[Trapped in the ruins], William Dalrymple, The Guardian, 2004-03-20, verified 2005-01-29 Karen Armstrong wrote in the Guardian newspaper that Islamophobia is the modern apparation of anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination that dates as far back as the crusades. [Root out this sinister cultural flaw] Karen Armstrong - The Guardian - Wednesday April 6, 2005 Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a December 7, 2004 UN conference on the emergence of Islamophobia that "[when] the world is compelled to coin a new term to take account of increasingly widespread bigotry — that it is a sad and troubling development. Such is the case with 'Islamophobia'." [World: UN Forum Explores Ways To Fight 'Islamophobia'], Radio Free Europe, December 10, 2004 Jeremy Seabrook, Dr. Anya Rudiger and the Forum Against Islamophobia & Racism have written that the effects of Islamophobia range from individual hatred to widespread discrimination or persecution.[Religion as a fig leaf for racism], Jeremy Seabrook, The Guardian, 23 July 2004[Discrimination and Legislation - Response of Dr. Anya Rudiger] from Discrimination and Legislation session of Muslims in Europe post 9/11 conference, 2003-04-26, St Antony's College, Oxford[Forum Against Islamophobia & Racism (FAIR)][Islamophobia: a challenge for us all] PDF In 2005 the Guardian, a British newspaper, commissioned an ICM poll which indicated an increase in Islamophobic incidents, especially after the July 7 Bombings. [Two-thirds of Muslims consider leaving UK] The Guardian - Tuesday July 26, 2005[ICM-Guardian poll] POll of Muslims in the UK. The Guardian - Tuesday July 26, 2005 Another survey on Muslims, this by the Open Society Institute, found that of those polled 32% believed they had suffered religious descrimination at airports, and 80% said they had experienced Islamophobia.[Spiraling Islamophobia Alienating British Muslims: Report] Islam Online - Nov 22 2004[... And why we urgently need new answers] Sarfraz Manzoor - The Guardian - November 30, 2004 Efforts against Islamophobia Globally there have been a series of efforts against islamophobia, some of these efforts are detailed below. In 2006 the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) set up an observatory on Islamophobia which will monitor and document all anti-Islamic activities around the world. [OIC set up observatory on Islamophobia] IslamOnline, May 9, 2006 During the ascession talks regarding Turkeys posible entry to the EU, then Prime Minister of Holland, Jan Peter Balkenende, said Islamophobia must not affect the possibility of Turkey's entry to the European Union. [Islam 'must not cloud Turkey bid'] BBC -Wednesday, 21 July, 2004 50,000 people signed a petition urging the President of France, Jacques Chirac to curb the growing hatred and discrimination towards Muslims in France. [FRANCE: 50,000 SIGN UP AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA] - ADN Kronos - June 2, 2006 In 1992 a book named The Downfall of the Netherlands was banned and its Pakistani born author fined a sum of 2000 guilders for inciting hatred. [link] In the UK a number of methods aimed at curbing Islamophobia have been set up. In Tower Hamlets, a densely populated area with a large Muslim community, a crime reporting scheme called "Islamophobia - Don't Suffer in Silence" has been set up which police hope will raise awareness of Islamophobia and help them to understand the extent of the problem.[Scheme to fight faith hate crimes] BBC - Wednesday, 17 November, 2004 The British National Union of Teachers (NUT) has issued guidance to teachers in the union advising that teachers have to "Challenge Islamophobia", and that they have a "crucial role" to play in helping to "dispel myths about Muslim communities". [Teaching tolerance amid tension] BBC - Friday, 15 July, 2005 Following a controversial demonstration organized by the Al Ghurabaa organization in response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, the Muslim Association of Britain organized a peaceful rally in Trafalgar Square attended by nearly four thousand people where organizers made available placards and T-shirts bearing the rally's official slogan, the phrase, "United against Islamophobia, united against incitement".[Prayer mats lined the pavements] BBC - Saturday, 11 February 2006[Muslims fly flag for peaceful protest against cartoons] The Guardian - Sunday February 12, 2006 A similar themed march, a week later, drew around ten thousand people to the same place [Muslims march in cartoons protest] BBC - Saturday, 18 February 2006. Following the July 7 bombings, the British government set up a number of initiatives aimed at combatting Islamophobia, including the "National Forum against extremism and Islamophobia". [Call for Muslim scholars to tour] BBC - Thursday, 10 November 2005 There was also plans by the British government to ban incitement to "religious hatred", however, this failed to get through the House of Commons. [Racial and Religious Hatred Bill] BBC - Friday, 27 January 2006[Religious hatred: How MPs voted] BBC - Wednesday, 1 February 2006 The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said that the Media bore some responsibility for the apparent rise in Islamophobia, and said that a "rising tide of Islamophobia" in the media must be challenged. He compared the reporting of Muslims in contemporary Britain to the way the flight of Jews from Russia had been covered 100 years ago. [Muslim media image 'must change'] BBC - Wednesday, 31 August 2005 In 2006 the Catholic Mission Austria and the Islamic Demonination Austria created a platform called [Christians and Muslims], which works against stereotypes and hostility and aims to increase tolerance and respect. As of July 25, 2006 the platform has 1452 supporters. In 1991 the [Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI)] organised, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Institut du Monde Arabe of Paris, an International Conference about the Contribution of Islamic Civilization in European Culture. In March 13 2003 they created a [Manifesto against Islamophobia]. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan issued a call in 1999 to world leaders to combat Islamophobia. [Jordan: Stop attacking Islam] BBC - Tuesday, September 21, 1999 Abdel-Elah Khatib, the Jordanian foreign minister said "The international community must consider how to confront this phenomenon of Islamophobia in order to prevent its proliferation". References to acts attributed to Islamophobia Dr Amanda Wise and Ghali Hassan from GlobalResearch.ca have alleged that the 2005 Cronulla riots were the result of a climate of "Islamophobia" in Australia. [Racial unrest offers opportunity for discussion], Australian Broadcasting Corporation, December 20, 2005[The Rise of Islamophobia in ‘White Australia’], Global Research, December 14, 2005 Dalil Boubakeur, a director of a Paris mosque described the vandalism on a Mosque in Paris, France as Islamophobic. [Vandals target Paris mosque] The Guardian - Tuesday February 22, 2005 Attack on a Mosque in Brisbane, Australia.[Mosque attacked in Australia], BBC News, September 14, 2001[Annual Report 2001-02 for the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland], Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland, October 30, 2002 Giles Tremlett of The Guardian referred to the burning of a Muslim Sanctuary in the Spanish city of Ceuta, as an instance of Islamophobia.[Burning of sanctuary stokes fears of Islamophobia in Spain], The Guardian, April 18, 2006 Smearing of a Qur'an with what appeared to be feces and dumping it in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.[Purcell, city leaders reach out to Muslims], The Tennessean, August 2, 2005[Burning Of Koran Investigated As Hate Crime], NewsChannel 5 Network, June 23, 2005 Halima Mautbur, from the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations called an attack on a Muslim woman "an Islamophobic incident". [Muslim groups want action from U of T], University of Toronto News, March 16, 2006 Doudou Diène in a report prepared by the UN Commission on Human Rights released on March 7, 2006 mentioned the publishing of the cartoons at the heart of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy regarding, "The development of Islamophobia or any racism and racial discrimination ... " [Racism and racial discrimination on rise around the world, UN expert warns], UN NEWS CENTRE, March 7, 2006 In a February 10, 2004 report by Al Jazeera the head of the Party of France's Muslims, Muhammad Latreche in discussing the French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was quoted as saying that the legislation would, "institutionalise Islamophobia".[French parliament approves hijab ban], Al Jazeera, February 10, 2004 On March 8, 2006 the Islamic Human Rights Commission made a press release entitled, "Islamophobia in Prisons stretches far beyond Belmarsh" concerning prisons in Britain. [Islamophobia in Prisons stretches far beyond Belmarsh], Islamic Human Rights Commission, March 8, 2006 Destruction and vandalism of Muslim graves in France. [EU reports post-Sept. 11 racism] CNN - May 24, 2002 Vandalism of Muslim Graves in Charlton cemetery in Plumstead, London.[Appalling Desecration of Muslim Graves in Plumstead] Mulsim Council of Britan - 19 Mar 2004 Muslim protesters alleged that the Forest Gate anti terror raid in London was Islamophobic.[MAB Horrified at Forest Gate Security Blunder], The Muslim Association of Britain, June 7, 2006[Muslims call on Police chief to resign over Forest Gate terror raid], RINF, June 11, 2006 France, which has a strong secular tradition separating church from State, [France to Ban Pupils' Religious Dress], YaleGlobal, December 12, 2003 was accused of Islamophobia when the law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was passed, which bans the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools. The policy extends to Muslim headscarves, large Christian crosses, Jewish skullcaps, and other visible signs of religion, although the display of small[link][link] religious symbols (such as the Star of David, crosses, and Hand of Fatimas) however, is permitted. The Dutch parliament has voted in favour of a proposal to ban the burqa in public, which has led to similar accusations. [Dutch MPs to decide on burqa ban], BBC News, January 16, 2006 In Germany, the state of Baden-Württemberg has proposed regulations that require citizenship applicants from the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to answer questions about their attitudes on homosexuality, domestic violence and other religious issues. [‘German loyalty tests are Islamophobic’] - The Muslim News - Friday 27 January 2006 References to views labeled as Islamophobic The Council on American-Islamic Relations has claimed that the views of Ann Coulter are Islamophobic [Ann Coulter says Muslims 'Smell Bad'], Council on American-Islamic Relations, March 10, 2004 Statements that incite Islamophobia from Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn, according to John Esposito. . Oliver Duff of The Independent has claimed that the British National Party has attempted to use increasing Islamophobia to make gains in local elections. [Rising Islamophobia makes Birmingham fertile ground for BNP], The Independent, April 8, 2006 "The Force of Reason" written by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci [Bible of the Muslim haters], The Guardian, June 11, 2002 [Institutionalised Hatred and Instigating Murder], Z Magazine, December 20, 2005 The Islamic Human Rights Commission made U.S Attorney General John Ashcroft a nominee for their 2003 "Islamophobe of the year" award for allegedly saying: "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you" [Annual Islamophobia Awards, 2003] The Islamic Human Rights Commission made Daniel Pipes a nominee for their 2004 and 2005 "Islamophobe of the year" awards. He has been called "one of America's most notorious Arab-haters and Islamophobes". [Winners of Islamophobia Awards 2004 announced], Islamic Human Rights Commission, June 26, 2004[Winners of the Islamophobia Awards 2005], Islamic Human Rights Commission, December 17, 2005[Thought crime on campus], Creative Loafing Atlanta, February 10, 2002 The political views of Filip Dewinter.[Filip Dewinter interview], Jewish Week, December 9, 2006 The UK Minister Peter Hain's statement that Britain's Muslim community is "isolationist" was met with accusations of Islamophobia, and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's statement that Western civilization is 'superior' to Islam was similarly alleged to be Islamophobic.[Who's afraid of Islamophobia?], Spiked, July 2, 2002 General references in connection to Islamophobia 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". [Pope prays for peace] CNN - September 23, 2001 In March 2005, Queen Noor of Jordan, while on the BBC television programme "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.".[Jordan's Queen] BBC Transcript of Breakfast with Frost. Sunday, 20 March. Criticisms of the concept and usage of the term Some critics of the term have argued that it has been used as an attempt to police or censor opinion by characterizing any criticism of Islam or Muslims as pathological and irrational.[[Citing sources citation needed]] Some of these critics cite the case of the British liberal feminist journalist Polly Toynbee, who was nominated for the title of "Most Islamophobic Media Personality of the Year" [Most Islamophobic Media Personality of the Year], Islamic Human Right Commission, May 31, 2003 at the Annual Islamophobia Awards overseen by the Islamic Human Rights Commission in May 2003. The nomination was based on her comments in an article she had written for the London-based liberal newspaper The Guardian: Religious politics scar India, Kashmir, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sudan ... the list of countries wrecked by religion is long. But the present danger is caused by Islamist theocracy ... There is no point in pretending it is not so. Wherever Islam either is the government or bears down upon the government, it imposes harsh regimes that deny the most basic human rights.[Last chance to speak out] The Guardian, by Polly Toynbee. Toynbee has rejected the label of "Islamophobe" and argued that her comments must be judged on their truth or falsity, not on the offence they might give to most members of the Muslim community. Civil-rights activist Bahram Soroush views the term Islamophobia as a form of "Intellectual blackmail", a means of avoiding legitimate criticism of Islam by "scaremongering".[TV International English Interview with Bahram Soroush], June 7, 2004 Kenan Malik, a British science writer, while admitting that "there is clearly ignorance and fear of Islam in this country. Muslims do get harassed and attacked because of their faith"[What hate?] Kenan Malik -The Guardian - Friday January 7, 2005, has made several points in rejecting the widespread existence of Islamophobia in his essay The Islamophobia Myth:[The Islamophobia Myth], Kenan Malik, February 2005 Caution is needed in attributing Islamophobia as the base cause of any event. It is not sufficient that a Muslim is a victim of crime. The accusation of Islamophobia can be used as a mechanism to stifle debate and criticism of the cultural practices of Muslim societies. Finally, anti-social behaviour and deliquency may be the cause of any of the events cited as being islamophobic attacks. Malik's perceptions have been challenged by Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, who, in a letter to the Guardian, highlights instances of apparent Islamophobia which Malik has omitted. To illustrate this point, he mentions a BBC survey which he claims found that job applicants with traditional English names were more likely to be granted an interview than applicants with identical qualifications and work experience, but with Muslim-sounding names. [Hate against Muslims] Inayat Bunglawala - Letter to the Guardian - Tuesday January 11, 2005 Wolfram Richter, professor of economics in the Dortmund University believes that what is seen as Islamophobia is essentially just another form of racism.[The next holocaust], New Statesman, December 5, 2005 On December 7, 2004 at a U.N. sponsored seminar entitled "Confronting Islamophobia: Education for Tolerance and Understanding”, Ahmed Kamal Aboulmagd Ph.D., a former member of the Government of Egypt, disputed the neologism and described the term as "derogatory". [Islamophobia...A Term Criticized in UN Seminar], Islam Online, December 8, 2005[Transcript of UN seminar "Confronting Islamophobia: Education for Tolerance and Understanding"], UN Press Release, December 7, 2004[Webcast of UN seminar "Confronting Islamophobia: Education for Tolerance and Understanding"], UN Press Release, December 7, 2004 The Dutch philosopher and criminal law expert Afshin Ellian, criticised the concept in February 2006 in a piece entitled Stop Capitulating to Threats. He claimed that "Free speech is in danger of being increasingly restricted by invoking “Islamophobia” and “racism”. And some intellectuals have already capitulated." Citing an example of a play cancelled and of a journalist who resigned her post because of alleged threats. He asks "What has happened to civil courage? Why do we hear nothing from the publishers, artists, media and colleagues of people who have capitulated about the consequences of this voluntary capitulation?"[Stop Capitulating to Threats], Afshin Ellian, February 2006 Writing in the New Humanist, University of London philosopher Piers Benn suggests that people who "fear the rise of Islamophobia" foster an environment "not intellectually or morally healthy", to the point that “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’". ``[On Islamophobia-phobia], Piers Benn The New Criterion editor Roger Kimball agrees with Benn's depiction of Islamophobia becoming powerful enough to itself trigger fear. He claims that the word “Islamophobia” is a "misnomer" as "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."[After the suicide of the West], Roger Kimball, January 2006 This is a view shared by the National Secular Society who believe that "There is little evidence of any wave of popular Islamophobia. But there is plenty to suggest that some in high places are suffering from an exaggerated fear of an anti-Muslim backlash, viewing the public as a pogrom waiting to happen."[NSS Newsline], Terry Sanderson, January 2005 See also Persecution of Muslims Religious intolerance Clash of Civilizations Alliance of Civilizations Islamofascism Islamophobia Watch References External links ["Deep roots of Islamophobia] by James Brooks, Islamonline.net [Forum against Islamophobia and Racism] [Misconceptions about Islam] [Islamophobia.org] ["Islamophobia"], Islamicawareness.net [Islamophobia Watch] ["Muslims and the European Right"] by Abdal-Hakim Murad, Masud.co.uk, first delivered as a lecture on April 30, 2000 [Islamophobia resources: writing, articles & publications] [Scholars of the house-on revising bigotry] [The Road to the Muslim Holocaust] ["Down with multiculturalism, book-burning and fatwas"] by Norman Lamont, The Telegraph, 8 May 2002 [Chris Allen] Dr Chris Allen (PhD: Discourse of Islamophobia - University of Birmingham 2006) [Negative Perception Of Islam Increasing] by Claudia Deane and Darryl Fears, Washington Post, March 9, 2006 Links to sites criticising the concept of Islamophobia: [Kenan Malik: The Islamophobia myth] [Islamophobia?] by Daniel Pipes ["How can we have respect for Islam when we are too fearful to criticise it?"] by Muriel Gray, The Herald, 5 February 2006   From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details. Search Titles 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ? E-mail this article to: Personal Message: