Is Islamophobia just a modern version of racism or bigotry?

Question

People seem to be able to get away with making anti-Muslim statements they would never make about other religious or racial groups in this country. Isn't Islamophobia a sign that America is going backwards in its efforts to become a truly free society? After all, Dr. King said an injustice to any is an injustice to all.

Stephanie D, I'm sure you can find black people, Jewish people etc. that have done things you don't like...does that make you hate all of them? That is what Islamophobia is.

Answer 1

most likely. it's just that people in this country are shaped by christian values. but what people don't see is that islam is a truly wonderful and beautiful religion. they don't put this into perspective:

muslims are to islamic militants
as
christians are to KKK

Answer 2

Well in a way. It's like the political cartoons of the 1930's and 1940's that depict the Japanese as monkeys. It's easier to motivate people to be aggressive if the targeted group is provoked into extreme behavior. In 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor after years of provocation by Washington, which doesn't excuse the attack but parallels can easily be seen with the middle east, after all those people are sitting on all the oil. To bad people insist on being puppets to political manipulations. If we could see beyond such crap we wouldn't let people with a profit motive have political office.

Answer 3

I disagree with the premise of your question, I'm not even sure that Islamophobia exists. Your question assumes that there is something called Islamophobia of which we have a common definition. As a matter of fact I also disagree with your statement about "anti-Muslim statements". It seems to me that people, politicians, media and the press step all over themselves trying not to offend Muslims or to be culturally sensitive. An excellent example is that of the Danish cartoons. Those cartoons are quite innocuous really and nothing close to the sort of depictions that we regularly see of the Pope or Jesus or any other number of Christian symbols. The reaction to those cartoon included the death of several people and the burning of embassies in Denmark, Norway and Syria. I think if there is one faith or group of people who are a victim of bigotry it's probably Catholics. It seems to me that you can say pretty much anything about them in our society.

Answer 4

This is war my friend and it is only natural to feel apprehensive towards the enemy.I realize all Muslims are not terrorists,but just like in previous wars the people of that nationality or creed suffer some form of persecution.It is unfortunate but that is the world we live in.As long as those people are around that would sneak into our country,act like our friends,then attack without regard for innocents,we will not have true freedom.

Answer 5

No, it is a word that tries to guilt us in to not standing up against the Islamic nuts who want to take over the world. It is a word that is used to try to make us feel that we are the bad people with the mental problem. It is a word used in bullying tactics aimed at paralyzing us into not defending ourselves. BTW phobia implies an irrational fear. Fearing fanatics who fly planes into buildings because they believe that they are going to get laid at the big orgy in the sky is not exactly irrational. I say don't have an irrational fear of being called a racist or a bigot and stand up for yourself and your people.

Answer 6

I can't speak for others, but I am afraid of Radical Muslims who want to do "Jihad" against Americans. But I wouldn't go so far as to lump all muslims into that category.

Answer 7

Islamaphobia? Is that the new liberal non-existent buzz word now? You trying to flatter yourself with all this pseudo enlightened psycho babble? I know you need someone to demonize in your "Utopian" vision, but sometimes there are just evil people out there. You want a free society for free, and it just doesn't work like that. Someone has to stand up and be the "cop" and stop the....yes, I am going to say it...EVILDOERS.

Answer 8

A phobia is an unreasonable or irrational fear of something.

Read the following questions and decide if people's fear of extremist Muslim idelogy is really unjustified.

1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by :


a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. a Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40



2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:


a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:


a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:


a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:


a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:


a. The Smurfs
b. Davey Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:


a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:


a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:


a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:


a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:


a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:


a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40



13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:


a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Answer 9

Can it be that some people despise President Bush so much as to ignore a threat that was present on American soil as far back as 1977? No, I don't see it as bigotry and it would not qualify as racism because the races of Islam are so varied. But you knew that, didn't you?

Answer 10

It is definitely a kind of rascism fomented by BushCo, just as they have done on the Mexican border. In both cases, fear has been encouraged to distract the public from what is really going on. In Iraq it is a play for dominion over the oil region and plunder, and on the Mexican border it was done to keep people from noticing the North American Union BushCo has started without our approval.