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Hi guys,
According to some Muslims, I seem to have contracted an illness of some sorts: Islamophobia.
In the last few weeks I've come across this expression so many times that it's started
bugging me and I wonder whether anyone can provide some insight.
Hm, Islamophobia. Islamophobic.
I have been called this endless times now, as has any person criticizing Islam or any
human not wanting to live according to Islam.
"5 women have staged a topless protest in front of an Islamic centre in Brussels..."
We are automatically labelled Islamophobic. Certified by the people who endeavour to live
their life according to Islam.
But pardon my ignorance: what exactly is this Islam? And what about the word phobia?
Let's start with the easy part. A phobia is an unwarranted fear of something, such as
arachnophobia is the fear of spiders -- unwarranted because a spider doesn't really attack and
devour a human. Not recently at least.
Here's a list of the most common and the craziest fears, like Ergasiophobia -- Fear of Work
and what many Muslims seem to suffer from, Gymnophobia -- Fear of Nudity.
But can something like Islamophobia exist? Does this word appear on the list of the most
common fears? Nope! Should it be? Is there really a need for such a word? Does it actually
make any sense?
So, back to the beginning, Islam. Islam is kind of an ideology, a worldview with a religion.
It is a socio-political system, which is based on a book which the followers of Islam, Muslims,
claim is the work of a super-natural being they call a god. A god, which has never in
the entire history of this Universe manifested itself or been proven or shown to even exist.
So what else is Islam? According to Wikipedia, an "ideology is a set of conscious and unconscious
ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions".
Since Islam inspires people to live according to the goals, rules and methods it has set
out, it governs the interior ministry, the foreign ministry, the economics ministry,
the war ministry, the finance ministry and the ministry of justice, making it a political
ideology, just like Capitalism, Socialism, Nationalism, Anarchism, Communism, etc
And a religion, a state religion. like the Islamic Republic of Iran or the Islamic Republic
of Mauretania or the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and so on. These countries have decided to
accept the Koran, a book which appeared more than 1000 years ago, as basis of their country,
along with a being which has never been shown to even exist.
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1956 Islamic Republic of Mauritania, 1958
Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2001
Are all countries where Muslims are the majority Islamic Republics? No. Why not?
Muslims believe there is evidence for the existence of a god. Their exclusive and yet
highly jealous god. Without caring that 80% of the world's population begs to differ.
They believe they should pray to this their creator/god. And pay some money to an institution,
go and walk around a black cube with a black stone, stop eating during the day for a month,
well, not really, but wherever this happens to be possible.
If this is the definition for a follower of Islam the Muslim, is this the set of rules
for all Muslims? No, some believe in more rules, some believe in less, some believe
they should follow only the Koran, some follow mainly what a person named Muhammad said and
did over 1000 years ago, some follow their local Imam and some don't.
In other words, there as many interpretations for what Islam is as there are followers.
In other words, there is no such thing as THE Islam with one definition which covers
all aspects.
So which version of Islam do I need to be unnecessarily afraid of?
Which version of Islam should I unjustifiably be afraid of?
Maybe, since not a single day goes by without news of some Muslims somewhere killing humans,
I SHOULD be afraid of Islam. But then it is a justifiable fear and not a phobia.
This does not really work, does it?
So let me try something different and look at those who mostly use the term and what
the effect of Islamophobia would be.
Is there an example for Islamophobia accepted by all Muslims? No.
Is there an example for Islamophobia accepted by all non-Muslims? No.
Is there a commonly accepted example for Islamophobia? No.
So this also does not work.
Wikipedia defines it as: "Islamophobia is prejudice against, hatred towards, or irrational
fear of or racism towards Muslims"
Prejudice against the Muslim race? Who would write something like this?
What are the characteristics of the Muslim race? The beard, the Jewish style skullcap
and their cute dress the men wear? No, that's clothes, not racial. What is racial about
a Muslim that stands out? Nothing? Is it just a hiding place?
What nonsense!
All other phobias are pretty much defined -- why isn't this one?
The Wikipedia definition would also cover almost anything ever brought up about any
group in history.
So this is a load of rubbish, childish Muslim propaganda and also a dead end.
So let's look in a different area: where is the term Islamophobia used? Ah, when Muslims
feel a person criticizes their unsubstantiated claims. Or when someone says something true
about Islam the followers don't like. When a non-Muslim quotes a sentence from the Koran
or the hadiths without quoting the sentence which says the opposite.
The summary then is that the word Islamophobia is used by the followers of Islam who can't
bear to hear the truth and can't stand any criticism, whether factual or not.
Is there a reason to be afraid? Well, there's nothing to fear for those who submit to the
ideology. What about those who don't? According to the Koran, they go to hell and get tortured.
This is repeated something like 83 times. But is it Islamophobic to be afraid of torture
when I am dead and can't feel anything? Yes, apparently it is.
So my understanding of Islamophobia is that I should be afraid of Islam and Islamists
when I am dead and then it is still unwarranted. Oh boy, this really doesn't make much sense
at all. Isn't there anyone with a definite and logical explanation of what exactly Islamophobia
is? Is telling the truth about a sentence in the Koran sufficient to be called an Islamophobic?
Is showing that a claim made by a Muslim is actually a false claim or an outright lie
sufficient to be called an Islamophobic?
There is a solution, which is, as always, quite simple.
I can either choose to submit to an invisible, jealous being which provides nonsensical instructions
for some sort of life when I am dead, join in the obligatory Ramadan-a-ding-*** and
all will be well.
Or I demand that Muslims decide on an acceptable definition of what they themselves deem as
being appropriate. What they consider to be an appropriate criticism of Islam and then
set the rules for what may be criticized in Islam and in what way. Bring some examples
to the table of what may be criticized and in what way. What kind of criticism is acceptable?
What may be criticized? Be productive and provide some support for a form of productive criticism.
Be productive and come up with a word that does this action justice and not this ridiculously
irrational word.
Then let Muslims decide which sentences in the Koran need to be updated and elevated
or reformed to represent the reality of our civilization in the modern world today. Then
do the same and select some relevant sentences from the hadith. Just mark the sentences which
should be taken allegorically or as irrelevant in today's state of civilization and we can
all get along and play nicely. Or face the all too obvious trend visible today of Islam
becoming extinct.
Oh, there is another alternative: stop behaving in a way which gives people a reason to be
afraid of Islam in the first place.
Thanks for your time.