Opinion: Stop calling criticism of Islam ‘Islamophobia’

Jackson Doughart and Faisal Saeed al-Mutar, Special to National Post | Sep 26, 2012 7:00 AM ET | Last Updated: Sep 25, 2012 4:51 PM ET
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David McNew/Getty Images Members of the Muslim Congress demonstrate against "Innocence of Muslims" on Sept. 22, 2012 in the Hollywood, California.

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The English language needs a moratorium on the word Islamophobia, a term often used to describe bigotry against Muslims. Unfortunately, it is also used reflexively to denounce critics of Islam, who contribute to a valuable and ongoing debate concerning the relationship between the West and the worldwide Islamic community. This subject is important because several Western countries, such as Denmark, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, are being forced to reconsider their approaches to immigration and culture in light of deep clashes between the Muslim immigrants and the native population. These tensions have captured much attention in recent weeks with the series of violent protests that have spread to over twenty countries, emanating from the controversial Innocence of Muslims film.

In the opinion of some scholars, journalists, and activists, the nature of European and North American reaction to Islam is an example of prejudice, falling suitably under the umbrella of what they call Islamophobia. In our estimation, however, the use of this term, and its cognates Islamophobic and Islamophobe, is not only misapplied, as in the case of the Dutch dissidents Geert Wilders and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, but altogether inappropriate and deserving of repudiation.


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