Islamophobia: It’s Not a Phobia

Islamophobia is not a phobia. A phobia is defined as: “a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.”

No, the publicly displayed attitudes against Muslims, particularly from politicians and pundits who hope to use Muslims to further their political or economic means, is simply hatred. But it is a brand of hatred that bears many similarities with anti-black hatred: in other words it has to do mostly with white Christian hatred towards Muslims in general and Arabs in particular. It is not the same as my acrophobia, a pathological fear of heights. I do not believe for one instance that the Daniel Pipes, the Pamela Gellers, the Zuhdi Jassers, the Peter Kings and their ilk have a “pathological fear” of Islam. They do not seem very afraid at all. No, their arguments are conceived in a particular logic, articulated in a deliberate language and their rhetoric has specific goals: the annihilation of Muslims plain and simple.

Until Muslims are willing to expose and shame these actors and charlatans (rest assured they are embarrassments to their broader faith communities) then Muslims will continue to perpetrate a lie against themselves: public hatred and violence towards Muslims is based on real fears and thus the means (any means) justifies the (ultimate) ends.