This post is the second in a series about the Turkish definition of the word “Islamophobia” presented at the OSCE meeting in Vienna on July 12, 2013. Previously: Part 1.
As reported here last month, the Turkish representative at the OSCE “Supplementary Human Dimension” meeting in Vienna provided the conference with a long-awaited definition of “Islamophobia”:
Islamophobia is a contemporary form of racism and xenophobia motivated by unfounded fear, mistrust, and hatred of Muslims and Islam. Islamophobia is also manifested through intolerance, discrimination, unequal treatment, prejudice, stereotyping, hostility, and adverse public discourse. Differentiating from classical racism and xenophobia [sic], Islamophobia is mainly based on stigmatization of a religion and its followers, and as such, Islamophobia is an affront to the human rights and dignity of Muslims.
In later installments to this series we’ll take a detailed look at the components of the above definition. In the meantime, an examination of the historical record is instructive.
The term “Islamophobia” was coined a just over a century ago. The first recorded use of the word was in 1912, in French. (“l’islamophobie”; Maurice Delafosse, in Haut-Sénégal-Niger, wrote: “Quoi qu’en disent ceux pour qui l’islamophobie est un principe d’administration indigène, la France n’a rien de plus à craindre des musulmans au Soudan que des non musulmans.”) The word reappeared occasionally in the 1920s and later in the century. Its original sense referred to a fear among modernized Muslims of the traditional forms of Islam, rather than an attitude towards Islam held by non-Muslims.
“Islamophobia” was not recorded in English until much later, and may well have been an independent coinage rather than a translation from the French. By the time it gained currency in English, the meaning had shifted to be more or less the one we know today. When the Runnymede Trust issued its landmark report [pdf] in 1997, “Islamophobia” meant a “shorthand way of referring to dread or hatred of Islam — and, by extension, to fear or dislike of all or most Muslims”.
As the British sociologist Chris Allen later wrote:
However both the [Runnymede] report and its model have failed to stand the test of time and a detailed analysis highlights a number of serious flaws. The most obvious disadvantage of the term is that it is understood to be a ‘phobia’. As phobias are irrational, such an accusation makes people defensive and defiant, in turn making reflective dialogue all but impossible.
… the instruments we have to define, identify and explain it neither measure up to the theory nor are they entirely bias-free.
Dr. Allen here highlights the most intractable problem with the term: a phobia, by definition, is irrational. Not only does the use of the word stigmatize those so designated — which was as far as the author cared to take his objection — it requires that those who apply it demonstrate the irrationality of the purported fear. In order to make the case, one would have to prove that the designated “phobic” had in fact nothing to fear from Islam. In most cases this would be difficult to do, and any attempt to examine the data needed for such a proof would subject the mass behavior of Muslims to scrutiny, which would cause controversy — and would in itself be considered evidence of “Islamophobia”.
Thus the definition of the word “Islamophobia” is problematic, and any proof of the existence of the condition it describes is difficult or impossible to obtain. Nevertheless, the word has gained widespread currency, appearing more and more frequently over the past ten years or so. In December 2004, then-Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, speaking at a seminar entitled “Confronting Islamophobia” in New York, referred to Islamophobia as an “increasingly widespread bigotry”. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (now the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, OIC) established an “Islamophobia Observatory” in 2007, and it has been issuing reports annually ever since. In April 2012 the OIC inaugurated a TV channel to counter Islamophobia.
In May 2013, Dr. Hatem Bazian, the director of the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender, wrote:
Thus, the crime of the terrorist is immediate, while that of the Islamophobes is long-lasting, for it creates and impresses on our collective public mind the logic of hate and racism that is then packaged to further justify the logic of “clash of ignorance” that is foundational to their [Sudden Ignorance] Syndrome.
This statement implies a moral equivalence between “Islamophobes” and terrorists who kill innocent bystanders with powerful bombs. To make such a comparison using such a hazily-defined word is to skate onto the thinnest of ethical ice.
The increasing use of an ill-defined word in heated polemics becomes significant when the term is meant to punish, intimidate, and silence those who criticize Islam and Shariah. If the word cannot be avoided, it is absolutely essential that it be precisely defined, and that the definition be acceptable to Muslims, critics of Islam, and disinterested parties alike.
The concept of “Islamophobia” as a phobia fails to stand up under rigorous examination.
Let us imagine a man who one day discovers a rabid dog in his front yard, staggering around, frothing at the mouth, and snapping wildly at anything or anyone that comes close to it.
The man is alarmed, and grabs a nearby stick to fend off any advances by the dangerous animal. He retreats to his house, bars the door, phones the animal control squad, and waits inside until the mad dog has been safely removed from his lawn.
Is his behavior an example of cynophobia? Or is he perhaps a hydrophobophobe?
Of course not! The very absurdity of these formulations highlights the dishonesty and misdirection of the term “Islamophobia”.
Some fears are well-justified. It is not actually phobic to be afraid of something that really does want to kill you.
Later posts in this series will analyze the components of the definition used by the OSCE and the OIC, and draw conclusions about the attempt to impose the use of the word on the OSCE and other international bodies..
For links to previous articles about the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, see the OSCE Archives.
I’ve said it before, but I feel a need of deepening. Here my definition:
“Islamophobia is a constructed word, where a medical term from psychology is mixed with a term from religion/ideology. The purpose – just as with generalizing words like “rasism”, “socialism”, “communism”, “fascism” etc. – is to distract people from facts in order to manipulate them.”
It looks like my compatriot Swedes reintroduced the term some 10 years ago. The Swedes are masters in linguistic distortion. A char is nowadays a person that works with “building care”, and a taxi driver is a “transporter”. Despite their nice “titles”, they are more and more treated like crap. Any use of “wrong” language in the Swedish society might be fatal (For example, the correct term for an immigrant is a “New Swede”. Corresponding to “Nydansker” = “New Dane” in Denmark.).
Conclusion: Object any use of the word “Islamophobia”!
Actually, it is not typically “Islamophobes” who could be realistically characterized as having any significant fear of Islam or Muslims. The extraordinary and unreasonable measures of Dhimmi-politics to accommodate the demands of Islamists lest they resort to terrorism is far more illustrative of a totally irrational fear of Islam.
“Islamophobes” are generally just showing a completely reasonable response to demands that the laws of civilized nations be perverted to serve the interests of barbarism, refusal to bend to terrorist demands can hardly be characterized as an indication of any kind of fear, let alone excessive or irrational fear.
Are we analysing the wrong word here? Before we discuss islamophobia should we not first ensure a universal definition of “racism?”
Islam is a religion, not a race.
Can anyone refute that? No? End of discussion 😛
A theopolitical pseudo-religion ideologically asserting Mahomedan supremacy.
Islam is an ideology passing itself off as a religion.
This fraud works against 90% plus of the rest of us. Once you know Islam is pile of steaming
doodoo, you will always be on your guard. It’s
the rest of humanity I feel incredibly sorry for.
This is a bit simplistic. Neither racism, islamophobia, sexism, nor bread and jamism have ever been universally defined. This is no accident. All the cultural marxists have done is fabricated a number of non defined terms with a view to villifying anyone who disagrees with their views. The marxists are the enemy as they always were and until we confront them, we will be unable to confront anyone else.
I’ve posted this before: Declare yourself Islamognostic. For example, know that Islam is not just about doing evil in the name of God; it’s engaged in corrupting and teaching children to do evil in the name of God. The list is endless exposing Islam as an enslaving fraud. Know the truth.
“Thus, the crime of the terrorist is immediate, while that of the Islamophobes is long-lasting, for it creates and impresses on our collective public mind the logic of hate and racism …”
Phobia is a insular fear in that an individual will take flight from the trigger of their phobia, in most adult cases there is also the recognition by the phobic person that their fear is irrational – it is not a condition that creates and impresses the collective public mind with the logic of hate upon the trigger.
To accuse and prosecute citizens and political opponents of the psychobabble crime of “islamophobia” (usually concealed as an appended racially aggravated crime in the U.K.) is an abuse of power and a crime against the person, the reminder must be that every day in the British courts men, woman and children are being prosecuted and criminalised by the politically motivated psychobabble crime of “islamophobia” – undoubtedly de facto Sharia law.
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The Turk’s definition of Islamophobia specifies “unfounded fear.” It’s on this “unfounded” that everything hangs, more than on the “phobia.” Having erased 1400 of history with one stroke of a pen, the definition then has an internal consistency however lying and divergent from reality it may be.
So is all “unfounded fear” defined as Islamophobia?
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/24/richard_dawkins_is_not_an_islamophobe/
Babble, babble, babble…
Ever heard of the concepts of ‘interaction’ & ‘knowledge expansion’, Baron?
In the first installment of this series I took the liberty to leave a comment that obviously was not observed by you.
– – – – –
“The term ISLAMOPHOBIA was first used by the French “Orientalists” (with no counterpart existing in Persian). In 1910 they used the term to describe the ways to reign in the colonirs but later rejected it because it made it harder to win people’s “hearts”.
Alain Quellien: La politique dans l’musulmane Afrique Occidentale Française, 1910).
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6152175h
In 1925 the term showes up in France herself. Sometimes you encounter the uncorrect claim that the term ISLAMOPHOBIA was invented by Khomeini. It should be noted that he used the term especially against women who refused to submit to the new (his) islamic clothing rules, but, as said, the term existed long before.
See further french wikipedia:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamophobie (about 20 pages)
Le terme « islamophobie » est un néologisme qui désigne l’opposition, la peur, la critique ou les préjugés à l’encontre de l’islam[1] et par la suite la peur et le rejet des personnes de confession musulmane[2],[3]. L’islamophobie réfère à l’hostilité envers l’islam, ou à une attitude considérée comme discriminatoire à l’encontre des personnes de religion musulmane, et par amalgame abusif, des résidents d’origine maghrébine ou arabe[4].
[…]
– – – –
I also want to add the following:
“The Federal Commission against Racism (FCR) prefers “anti-Muslimism” to the term “islamophobia” (literally, non rational fear of Islam) as the latter’s main emphasis is on the over-emotive antipathy towards Islam as a religion and its customs, symbols and religious practices.”
‘Anti-Muslimism’ (ever heard of naziophobia?)
is an exellent term to use abot the combination of Islam and its Caliphate covetting submitters, who all acording to doctrine are forever hostile to the kuffar. Islam is a loathsome pseudoreligion characterized as violent, aggressive, threatening, alien and separate, static and unresponsive to new realities and inferior to the modern Western World.
The term “anti-Muslimism” expresses a justified negative attitude and hence justifies a negative behaviour towards people who are described as Muslims or who are perceived by the majority society as Muslims. This rational hostility to Muslims also contains well motivated components of the hostility to people primarily originating from a predominantly Islamic third world country or patriarchal society.
Muslims must always and forever be met with a consistent rejection/deprecation.
(1941 – Poor dear Germans, they cannot help that they are Nazis. Can we not treat them to coffee?)
Do not fraternize with the enemy.
Babble, babble, babble…
Ever heard of the concepts of ‘interaction’ & ‘knowledge expansion’, Baron?
In the first installment of this series I took the liberty to leave a comment that obviously was not observed by you.
– – – – –
“The term ISLAMOPHOBIA was first used by the French “Orientalists” (with no counterpart existing in Persian). In 1910 they used the term to describe the ways to reign in the colonirs but later rejected it because it made it harder to win people’s “hearts”.
Alain Quellien: La politique dans l’musulmane Afrique Occidentale Française, 1910).
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6152175h
In 1925 the term showes up in France herself. Sometimes you encounter the uncorrect claim that the term ISLAMOPHOBIA was invented by Khomeini. It should be noted that he used the term, especially against women who refused to submit to the new (his) islamic clothing rules, but, as said, the term existed long before.
See further french wikipedia:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamophobie (about 20 pages)
Le terme « islamophobie » est un néologisme qui désigne l’opposition, la peur, la critique ou les préjugés à l’encontre de l’islam[1] et par la suite la peur et le rejet des personnes de confession musulmane[2],[3]. L’islamophobie réfère à l’hostilité envers l’islam, ou à une attitude considérée comme discriminatoire à l’encontre des personnes de religion musulmane, et par amalgame abusif, des résidents d’origine maghrébine ou arabe[4].
[…]
– – – –
I also want to add the following:
“The Federal Commission against Racism (FCR) prefers “anti-Muslimism” to the term “islamophobia” (literally, non rational fear of Islam) as the latter’s main emphasis is on the over-emotive antipathy towards Islam as a religion and its customs, symbols and religious practices.”
‘Anti-Muslimism’ (ever heard of naziophobia?)
is an exellent term to use for the combination of Islam and its Caliphate covetting submitters, who all acording to doctrine are forever hostile to and enemies of the kuffar.
Islam is a loathsome pseudoreligion characterized as violent, aggressive, threatening, alien and separate, static and unresponsive to new realities and inferior to the modern Western World.
The term “anti-Muslimism” expresses a justified negative attitude and hence justifies a negative behaviour towards people who are described as Muslims or who are perceived by the majority society as Muslims. This rational hostility to Muslims also contains well motivated components of the hostility to people primarily originating from a predominantly Islamic third world country or patriarchal society.
Muslims must always and forever be met with a consistent rejection/deprecation.
(1941: Poor dear Germans, they cannot help that they are Nazis. Can we not treat them to coffee?)
Do not fraternize with the enemy.
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