14th June 2012
“At the end of the 1970s, Iranian fundamentalists invented the term 'Islamophobia' formed in analogy to 'xenophobia'. The aim of this word was to declare Islam inviolate. Whoever crosses this border is deemed a racist. This term, which is worthy of totalitarian propaganda, is deliberately unspecific about whether it refers to a religion, a belief system or its faithful adherents around the world.”
Pascal Bruckner
June 14th, 2012 at 5:09
The utility of the word to demonize those who oppose Islamic goals seems to be self-limiting due to the cold reality that it’s perfectly rational to fear Islamist ascendancy. I’m Islamophobic, and proudly so, if it means opposing the sanguinary and barbaric policies they’ve adopted in the countries they control. Yeah, Yeah, Turkey’s not so bad. Wait…
June 14th, 2012 at 10:09
Why do we hear so much these days about ‘Islamic fundamentalism’? Christian and Jewish fundamentalism do not seem to be mentioned although equally rife and equally divisive in western society. Come to think of it, why does fundamentalism only seem to prevail in the Abrahamic religions? It is not found at all in the Eastern religions.
June 14th, 2012 at 11:32
I would argue that Islamaphobia is a contradiction in terms.
A phobia is an irrational fear, and there is nothing irrational about fearing Islam or it’s adherents.
June 14th, 2012 at 15:36
The strategy of being “deliberately unspecific about whether it refers to a religion, a belief system or its faithful adherents around the world” is typical of all religions where language is hijacked and meanings corrupted in order to further religions place in society.
Words like:
sanc·tu·ar·y Noun:
1.A place of refuge or safety.
2.Immunity from arrest.
pi·e·ty/?p?-it?/Noun:
1.The quality of being religious or reverent.
2.The quality of being dutiful.
re·demp·tion/ri?dempSH?n/Noun:
1.The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil: “God’s plans for the redemption of his world”.
2.A thing that saves someone from error or evil: “his marginalization from the Hollywood jungle proved to be his redemption”.
savior: a person who rescues you from harm or danger
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Clearly the word “Islamaphobia” was created to stoke the tempers of as many Iranians, and Middle-Easterners in general, and also align their anger with Muslim religious leaders: Whether they be devout Muslims or not.
A cheap but effective tactic used by religious leaders for millenia. Think about it: How effective would it have been for the Iranian fundamentalists to have simply called their enemies racists?
June 14th, 2012 at 19:18
College kids rejecting God, accepting atheism
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/washington-secrets/2012/06/college-kids-rejecting-god-accepting-atheism/730466
June 21st, 2012 at 3:00
God respects us and He gave us the possibility to decide. Each of us chose the way we see things and the world around us. It’s vital what we feed ourselves on what we see, hear and meditate on. We need to feed ourselves on God’s word, because in this way our eyes will be enlightened to what we have in Christ Jesus.