The fraud of ‘Islamophobia’

In a 1918 biography of Islam’s prophet written in French language the word ‘islamophobie’ was used, arguably for the first time. Robin Richardson, who translated that biography into English, did not use the word as “Islamophobia” but rather as “feelings inimical to Islam”. The word ‘Islamophobia’ with meaning of ‘unseasonable and imaginary fear and hatred towards Islam’ entered into common usage in 1997. The 2004 UN conference entitled “Confronting Islamophobia”, forced international recognition of “Islamophobia” as a specific expression.

But then what was the necessity to defend Islam with such a catch word? To understand that we need to look back to the rise of Islamic terrorism across the world since 1972 Munich Summer Olympic. In that Olympic Games, Palestinian Islamic Terrorist group of eight members killed nine Israelis and one West German Police official. A brief list of Islamic terrorist attacks after 1972 is given below:

1. December 1973: Killing and hijacking from Rome Airport.
2. June 1976: Entebbe hostage crisis.
3. February 1979: Assassination of US Ambassador to Afghanistan.
4. November 1979: Iran hostage crisis.
5. November 1979: Seizure of Grand Mosque in Mecca.
6. October 1981: Assassination of Egyptian President.
7. April 1983: Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut.
8. October: 1983: Bombing on American and French compounds in Beirut.
9. March 1984: US Political Officer murdered in Beirut.
10. April 1984: Restaurant bombing in Spain.
11. June 1985: Trans-World Airlines hijacking.
12. September 1985: Kidnapping and killing of Soviet Diplomat in Beirut.
13. October 1985: Italian cruise ‘Achille Lauro’ Hijacking.
14. November 1985: Egyptian Airliner Hijacking.
15. December 1985: Airport attack in Rome and Vienna.
16. March 1986: Aircraft bombing in Greece.
17. April 1986: Berlin Disco bombing.
18. February 1988: Murder of Lt Col of US Marine.
19. April 1988: Naples Attack.
20. June 1988: Murder of US diplomat in Athens by car bomb explosion.
21. December 1988: Pan Am 103 bombing.

The list goes on and on, culminating to 9/11 bombing of Twin Towers in USA during 2001. The Islamic terrorism continued thereafter with full zeal and vigour. On 26 November 2008, Mumbai saw worst Islamic terrorist attack. The Islamic terrorism has been continuing all along, the latest being the beheading of a school teacher in Paris. If even 99.9% of Muslims are not terrorists, they have never stood up en masse against 0.1% of Muslims who have been doing terrorist activities across the world. Does it indicate the tacit approval 99.9% Muslims for Islamic terrorism?

Apologists of Islam may cry that Islam is religion of peace and has nothing to do with terrorism. But all Islamic terrorist groups, more than one hundred in numbers across the world, vouch their terrorism in the name of Allah, Quran and Islamic teaching. It is a catch-22 situation for the apologists of Islam. Neither they can disown the violent and discriminatory teachings of Islam, nor can they associate themselves overtly with Islamic terrorists.

So, the only option left for them is denial and blaming the non-Muslim critics of Islamic terrorism with “Islamophobia”. But, where there is smoke, there is fire. Where there is Islamophobia, there is Islamic terrorism. Hydrophobia occurs when one is bitten by rabid dog. Similarly Islamophobia happens when one faces Islamic terrorism. No phobia comes out of the blue. All phobias have basis and background. Ask a Mental Health expert to clear your confusion, if any.

Thus the most fraudulent term in today’s English language is “Islamophobia”. It is an absolute misnomer. Islamic and Left-Liberal groups, in their political correctness, use ‘Islamophobia’ to safe guard and cover up Islamic terrorism only. The non-Muslim secular, plural and democratic West, which is self loathing for its imperialistic history, becomes defensive to avoid the tag of ‘Islamophobia’ and looks the other way. And Islamic terrorism goes on happening. This is the greatest misfortune of our time.