Je Suis An Islamophobe

There are lines between fashion, fawning, and fear. They're almost invisible, so you don't always know when you're crossing them. And there are times when they become irrelevant – it doesn't matter what the motive is, as long as the action is suitable. Now is one of those times.

Several decades ago – it's not clear when – it became fashionable to substitute euphemisms for the terminology that most people used. Whether it began with “gender neutrality” or in response to other perceived slights, political correctness became the answer selected to deal with the hurt feelings.ⁱ It was trendy to speak of postal workers instead of mailmen, Native Americans instead of (American) “Indians,” Afro-Americans rather than blacks – at least in this country, “special needs” as an alternative to mental or physical disability, and visually challenged rather than blind. And there were many other terms – some facetious – to describe individuals or groups that might object to existing terminology. Short people were “vertically challenged,” deaf people were “hearing impaired,” and French Fries became Freedom Fries.

It may have begun as a fad, with the “correct” people as examples for the rest of us, but it soon became virtually mandatory. The practice of using the new jargon became an attempt to ingratiate ourselves with everyone and those who didn't follow the trend were considered insensitive and prejudiced. It was, and is, especially prevalent in academiaⁱⁱ – in its practices and in its publications. They were catering to anyone who might be offended by something someone said or did.ⁱⁱⁱ Well, not “anyone,” but to certain groups. It was again a matter of fashion. For a long time the catering was to blacks, and one of its major manifestations was affirmative action. The tool has been applied to other groups as well – women, the poor, people from particular areas.^iv

Fear came into play when some of those groups took offense to something they viewed as a manifestation of prejudice or blasphemy and responded with violence. The tactic was often effective, and following the publication in Denmark of cartoons that many Muslims viewed as blasphemous there was rioting and killing. Out of fear, many newspapers would not reproduce the cartoons to prevent the violence from affecting them. Yale University Press would not allow their inclusion in a book specifically about them.^v

Ever since the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, anger at Muslims, and fear as well, have been increasing. So has our vigilance. But the response to increased security efforts – a response by non-Muslims as well as Muslims – is that they represent Islamophobia and should be discontinued.

The recent events in Paris and elsewhere in Europe, suggest that preoccupation with the Danish cartoons and those of a Paris magazine justify additional violence. And there have been numerous other terrorist incidents around the globe, including the United States. One common feature of such terrorism is that the perpetrators are almost invariably Muslims.^vi And the attacks do not have to be aimed at those seen as the attackers of Islam. They are aimed at terror, and unpredictability is a feature of terrorism. And they are justified by the belief that there are Islamophobes everywhere.

But what is Islamophobia and is it justified? A phobia is a fear. It is not opposition or hatred. As such, it may be justified. “Anti-” signifies such opposition, and often hated. Someone with acrophobia is afraid of heights. An antisemite hates Jews. So Islamophobia is not a manifestation of an anti-Muslim philosophy, but a fear of Muslims and of the religion that teaches its children and its adults that killing, and dying as martyrs, are worthy goals.

Is it irrational to be afraid of those who may be infected with this philosophy as we are afraid of those with an infections disease? That's all Islamophobia is. And to that degree Islam is winning. It is inspiring fear in many people who realize that a terrorist attack may come at any time, and if it does, it will most likely be caused by a Muslim. The fear may be irrational and the likelihood of harm may be overstated, but that fear is caused by those who are working to provoke this reaction.

I am not anti-Muslim. I believe that the vast majority of Muslims, whatever their personal concerns about the world around them, do not represent a threat. But a few do. And they are unpredictable. And I am afraid.

I       Actually the term was used much earlier, although it's original citation (see Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 U.S. {2 Dall.} 419, 1793) gives it a straightforward meaning, speaking of conformance with existing political doctrine.

ii      Most recently, Duke University wanted to let Muslim students use the tower of the church on campus for heir call to prayer. After protests the decision was revoked.

iii      Those who opposed this form of censorship were considered reactionaries and right wing crazies for their criticism of this form of censorship.

iv       Affirmative action has a long history, apart from its use racially. For example, donors and alumni get preference when it comes to college admissions and veterans often get extra points in examinations for jobs.

v        See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/books/13book.html?_r=0 The report in the New York Times is interesting since the “Gray Lady” also kept the cartoons off its pages.

vi       Jews have been described as the world's canaries. What happens to them will ultimately be visited on everyone. (A recent citation – one of many that have appeared over the years – is http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Canary-in-the-coal-mine-387914) Muslims have long tried to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Now their terror attacks are affecting others.