What is Islamophobia?
While the world is still reeling from the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, a question that needs attention is, “What is Islamophobia?”
The Oxford dictionary defines the term as: intense dislike or fear of Islam, especially as a political force. But the true meaning of the term continues to be debated within academic circles. Is Islamaphobia a socially reproduced prejudice and aversion to Islam and Muslims? Is it a type of racialism? Or does there exist a social stigma towards Islam and Muslims, called fear. Islamophobia may just be a form of racism “wrapped in religious terms.” The word Islamophobia came into wide-spread use from people holding negative views of Islam.
Islamaphobia got wide support in the “Christian West” as Muslims were being perceived as “an external threat.” The feeling of this phobia began to take shape when thoughts were being given to the effects Islam could have in the West in the long run. Added to this was the role of the Western media which over-reported some Islamist terrorist incidents. Also, the negative political rhetoric towards Muslims by political pundits fanned the flames of fear.
Islamophobia is more about world politics than religion. Modern-day demonization of Muslims and the relentless attacks on Muslims by political pundits is a reflection of this unjust war. These attacks have led to discrimination against Muslims and a rise in Islamophobic sentiments. Muslims in the West possibly feel they are “out of place” in this world.
Ironically, according to a research carried out in the US by Public Religion Research Institute, 62% of Americans have seldom or never conversed with a Muslim; 26% said they know nothing about Islam while the rest stated they have some knowledge about Islam.
Islamophobia is today is a multimillion dollar industry in the West. There are anti-Muslim organizations which receive millions of dollars in funds towards carrying out a campaign against Islam and Muslims. As of 2016 there were 101 such organizations in the US alone. Their task is to disseminate biased information or disinformation about Islam and Muslims. The media also has exploited to its advantage the anti-Muslim sentiments where cyber space has been serving as a springboard for people with anti-Islam and anti-Muslim views. It is through the media Islamophobia is spreading like a virus.
Despite the fact that extremists do not represent even a miniscule fraction of the Muslim population, Islamophobes have always exploited any act of extremism to project an image of all Muslims as extremists and a source of terrorism. The incident of 9/11 gave further boost to such anti-Muslim sentiments. Then the rise of groups such as the ISIS and Al Qaeda in recent years added to the anti-Muslim bigotry. With such a scenario in existence, Islamophobia became the staple diet of political pundits, especially in the West.
It is not all from the West who carry Islamophibic views about Muslims. A pontiff from the Vatican had the following words to say about Muslims: “…the religiosity of Muslims deserve respect. It is impossible not admire, for example, their fidelity to prayer. The image of believers of Allah who, without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer remain a model for all those who invoke the true God, in particular for those Christians who, having deserted their magnificent cathedrals, pray only a little or not at all.” Pope John Paul II in “Crossing the Threshold of Hope”
What then is Islamophobia?: It is simply a projection of the West’s dark side.
Daniel: I don't suffer from Westophobia.
I have the level of education and the wisdom and the courage to call a spade a spade. This level of education has made me a person with a broad vision that allows me to differentiate black from white, truth from falsity, and put them across with no doubt or fear. There are many good things in the West and I am impressed by them. But then, there are very TERRIBLE things going on, one of them being the presenting Islam and Muslims as a great threat to humanity.
Just look around Doha or come over to an eastern Muslim country such as Malaysia, Pakistan, S Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Sudan or Bangladesh. There exist no such thing as Christianphobia in any of these countries or any other Muslims country for that matter..
And I have very clearly stated in my article: Islamophobia is a planned, concerted, organized and well-funded effort taking place in the West. It is a concoction of the Devilish mind of the West.
To agree to this fact, YOU (and others of your like) will need lots of COURAGE!
accha, be happy with your Westphobia.
No, no, Daniel, no.
Once again there you go all wrong. It is simply because the wrong image of Islam has been projected to you all throughout your education and your life. Islam does give e-q-u-a-l rights to women. Pakistan had a female prime minster Benazir Bhutto sometime back. Bangladesh has had TWO female prime ministers. What then are you talking about by saying that in Islam "women DON'T have the same rights as men in your culture?"
The highest governmental post in two Muslims countries was and is being managed by women. Is that not equality? Just look around, scratch your head a bit, think, come back into the world of reality, ---and then comment.
As for your views with regards to your wife having no objections if you had three wives or you having no objections to her having three husbands, it was really hilarious reading your comment. Your comment puts across two views: First, neither of you are humans with any thinking power or feelings, let alone any knowledge of religion. Second, Its only in the animal kingdom that there are no rules of "husband & wife". There are no religious or constitutional barriers in the animal kingdom, are there? I guess you people have been impressed with the absence of rules in the animal kingdom! I find it difficult to convince myself that you belong to the latter as you did state you have a WIFE. The main core and concrete platform for a husband and wife relationship in the "human world" to continue without any issues, is TRUST. This natural law applies to all couples, all over the world ---no religion involved; no constitution involved!
Lastly, you talk about carrying out DNA test to find out about the REAL father. Just 50 years back did people know anything about DNA? How many people in the West where promiscuity and fornication are so common, get DNA tests done on them to find out who their real father is? They don't need to as they are required by law to know just the names of their mother. So far, nature has provided a mother to be just single women unless the West comes across another "modern" way in their "progress" to change the system of nature existing from the times of Adam & Eve.
By the way, do you know who your real father is? If you do, did you find this out through a DNA test? Just asking.
And concerning your remark about knowing the 'real' father, it is easy (in the West) to analyze the DNA of the baby and the possible four fathers. So, your argument fails totally.
accha, my wife has no objections if I had three more wives if she could also have three more husbands. And because everybody is equal before the law she has the right to claim the same. Uuh, I forgot, women DON'T have the same rights as men in your culture. Sorry.
Daniel: I don't agree with you that religion is man-made. If you would take out the time to find out how the Qur'an was revealed, it will change this view of yours. Just for your information, the Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who was totally an illiterate person. How could a person who could not read or write put up such a book. Surely, there was a great power that made this happen, and that is Allah.
Yes, I do agree with you that religion has been used in the past and continues to be used today as an effective tool for people to come into power and rule over others.
As for Germany following the "one man, one wife" policy, suggest you advise your government to bring in amendments to your constitution in this respect. It will help the country greatly in controlling fornication, unless you people want to live that way and enjoy the best of life by keeping one legal wife as a showpiece, and several secret ones for enjoyment.
And this will d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y give a child the benefit of knowing who his or her REAL father is.
And, by the way, religions are man-made. The pharaohs of Egypt USED it to manifest their absolute power over their people, the Hebrews USED it to claim land from the Canaanites, the Christians USED it to kill and suppress people, the Muslims USED it to conquer territories and control the people, and the so-called Islamists USED it to kill people and destroy whole countries. It is not good for anything, except that it serves those who are in power!
accha, there have been refugees who entered Germany with two wives. They had to send one back because the law and the constitution of the country doesn't allow it. Period. It applies to anyone who wants to live in Germany. Even if he'd come from Mars.
Daniel: A good question! But let's look at things step by step:
First, Muslims staying in western countries (and they are in millions) do obey the laws of the country in which they reside. Following their own religion is their personal matter. If the west prides itself in upholding democratic values, where then lies the problem? Why don't you allow Muslims to follow the rules of their religion called the Shariah, freely? The country I come from is predominantly a Muslim one, but it has Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and atheist tribes etc. also present and we all live in complete harmony with no restriction of any kind in the practice of any faith.
Second, your statement that a "Muslim can have four wives according to his religion" simply reflects your shallow knowledge of Islam. Just to update you, the rule says "up to" four "l-e-g-a-l" wives. The rule goes on to add "that he must be able to treat all the four wives equally." While Sharia allows the freedom, over 90% of married Muslims you will come across will be having just a single wife. It's not that easy Daniel! Having said that, my query to you "is it not better to have another l-e-g-a-l wife if for any reason a man is unhappy with his first wife, rather than go about having very secretly "a jolly good time" with several other women as is common in the west and possibly in your country as well? Having the religious backing of having more than one legal wife, saves any society or country from a host of problems. It allows offspring to know who their "r-e-a-l" is, Daniel. In some countries of the West, when government forms need to be filled, they ask for the "mother's name". Why not the fathers? That's because the name of the father may be a "bit doubtful!"
Lastly, the most important question remains: Why is the West after just Muslims alone? There are so many other religions in the West but they are not targeted. As I have already pointed out in my article, there are well-funded organizations in the West whose job is to spew hatred against Muslims in a planned, organized manner.. Every now then you have someone drawing and publishing caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Why are no such caricatures made of Buddha or the many Hindu gods and goddesses? Have you ever (repeat ever) seen a caricature made of Jesus Christ (PBUH) by any Muslim? I am challenging you on this.
The "democracy" you westerners pride in, is nothing but just a tool in hands of people especially political pundits to use in their favour for their own means. Period.
Daniel, This guy acc is known for controversy. He abuses QLers with bad words like Bottom Burning etc insults and hates openly.
Better leave acc alone. Good point is no one else is with him. Till now his job was to threat QLers like cut into pieces wordings.
"while simultaneously obeying the rules and regulations of the country". accha, how do you solve this problem? A Muslim can have four wives according to his religion. If he lives in Germany he can have only one wife by law. If he insists on his religious right he is a bigamist and will go to jail. So??
Daniel: One just cannot combine religion with democracy. Democracy and constitution are man-made. Religion is not. As such, if a person is following the Sharia rule in any western country, he is following his religion while simultaneously obeying the rules and regulations of the country. Take for example, I will never drink wine or eat pork or allow the females of my family to run around the beach in bikinis even if I am in a Western country.
But the trend now is to use religion as an effective tool to gain wide support, win elections and come into power. This was clearly evident in two countries of the world which are world's biggest democracies. If democracy is used to fuel fires of hatred among communities especially against people of one religion, then there is major flaw in the system.
The realities on the ground as I have pointed out in my article are that there are organizations in the West funded by individuals or groups which are on overdrive to hurt Muslims in every way. The media is a powerful weapon in this war. There are no explosions or bullets flying or dead bodies in this open war through the media. But it hurts, and it hurts bad.
The Western media is quick to jump and brand a shot fired by a Muslim at any non-Muslim as an act of terrorism. All that is required is for a person to be a Muslim. But when a when a Westerner shoots and kills many as what happens regularly in one Western country, he is called a "lone wolf".
The only exception I have seen so far is from a g-r-e-a-t lady---Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand.
She is the first westerner to call a spade a spade and call the shooter a terrorist.
And I respect her much for her stand and actions.
Nobody is afraid of Islam or Muslims, accha. But, one has to obey the laws and the constitution of the country he is living in. Germany gave a home to over a million Syrians who fled their country. However, some of these refugees maintained their own laws, i.e. Sharia. Sharia conflicts significantly with the German Constitution. People here are afraid that the democratic system will be undermined. A system, which is the result of bitter wars and suffering. It is understandable that they are afraid!