The Myth Of Islamophobia

The New York Times, other American and foreign media, as well as The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have used the word “Islamophobia” to refer to individuals who call any aspect of Islam into question.  “Islamophobia” is a term often used to cast aspersions on the person offering a reasonable criticism of Islam and any other facet of the religion or its believers.  The term would be rightly defined as a fear of Islam.  This is not the same thing as hating all Muslims. You do not have to be a racist to fear the consequences of a religious belief.  Agoraphobia is a phobia because it is impossible to live a rational life fearfully avoiding all the public activities which a normal life requires.  So, is the fear of Islamic dominance and Sharia law unreasonable and deserving of being called a phobia?  I think not.  But America’s leaders have lost the cultural courage to speak out.

It is disturbing that the term “Islamophobia” is used by the PC crowd incorrectly in order to link it with racism.  Muslims come in every racial group just like Christians.  Does being anti-Nazi automatically make you anti-German?  This fact is ignored by those wanting to equate the word with racism.  The fear of an ideology does not make one a racist.  If this were so, anyone who feared Republicans or liberals would be a racist.

It is peculiar, however, that the only religion America permits to be criticized is Christianity.  You can say Christians are war mongers, racists, hypocrites, thieves, and a danger to our country.  You can say these things and no one will call you a racist or “Christianophobe.”  The term “Islamophobia” is being used to suppress all criticism of Islam whether the criticism is right or wrong.  Is Islam so spiritually and academically bankrupt that its critics must be forcefully silenced?

Is it possible that a fear of any ideology or religion may be a reasonable and rational position?  Is it possible to read the Qur’an and intellectually disagree with its moral teachings?  Is it possible to rationally fear the consequences of such teaching?  The very existence of many former Muslims, who have risked their lives to leave the faith behind, testifies to the answer, “Yes!”  Criticism is not a phobia.  Is it not true that jihad terrorists around the world point to passages from the Qur’an and Hadith to justify their terrorism?  A fear of terrorism is reasonable in today’s world.  Is it “Islamophobic” to recognize that Islamic jihad has been declared against the United States?  Is it “Islamophobic” to encourage resistance to jihad?  Should a victim be blamed for fearing someone who has threatened to harm him?

A serious problem for our government, media, and the PC secular progressives is their failure or refusal to recognize and admit that Muslim extremism is truly grounded in the religion of Islam.  They are blind to the fact that the extremists are determined that Islam will rule in the West (which includes Sharia law).  Their response to this threat is the equivalent in tone of, “Oh, you can’t be serious!”  Multiculturalism and minority rights have stolen their patriotism and nerve for fear of being labeled a bigot.  We have made the terrorist the victim.

Our leaders have failed to answer the question, “What does a civilization do when a minority culture is not satisfied with simply being accepted, but demands that their culture legally dominate the civilization even while they remain radical separatists?”

It is long past time for a reality check.  We are living in the middle of a global jihad that is the child of radical Islam.  Radical Islam does not value our freedoms, laws, multiculturalism, or political correctness.  Its adherents will, however, use these attributes against us.  All human beings have equal value, but all cultures are not equal.  This is very simply because all cultures do not equally value human life and freedom.

The purpose of the word “Islamophobia” is to place restrictions on free speech.   It is being used to blackmail our culture.  Instead of blaming individuals with reasonable concerns because they may fear the consequences of Islamic extremism, it would make more sense for Muslims to spend their time opposing the radicals of their own faith who are creating this climate of terror.  Crying “Islamophobia” every time an unfavorable judgment is made about Islam or Muslims is unproductive and disingenuous.