‘Islamophobia’ should not be a thing.

I know this sentence would anger some. And as I am writing these lines, I cannot and should not forget that I live in a country where at least 96.4% of the population is Sunni Muslim. But I also live in a world where language and the choice of words shape policies and form attitudes.

‘Islamophobia’ is a fraudulent term and it does more harm to Muslim people and their acceptance by Western societies than the supposed advantages it might bring.

But let me start it from the very beginning.

In order to understand the true meaning of the word, we have to take a look at the etymological origins of it. As it is well-known, phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer (via Britannica). Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders, agoraphobia is the fear of open, crowded places, acrophobia is the fear of heights, cynophobia is the fear of dogs and pogonophobia is the fear of beards (!). The list goes on, and we even find phobophobia, that is -you have guessed it correctly- the fear of being afraid.

Phobias seem to be revolve around single events, places, entities, objects or emotions. Cultural products, such as religion, do not seem to fit in.

But just for the sake of the argument, let’s see how the other Abrahamic religions do! Christianophobia is more known as ‘anti-Christian sentiment’, but nevertheless quite an obscure terminology. Jewophobia is probably not a term in use, but the expression anti-Semitism must ring a bell for many. So why can’t we call it anti-Muslim sentiment?

Let’s now turn to the perpetrators of the term and learn the prompt definition of ‘Islamophobia’. Most sources would agree that ‘Islamophobia’ is a hatred or fear of Muslim people. The expression is believed to originate from somewhere in the 90’s; the topic got wider attention upon the publishing of a British think-tank, who first used the term and examined the matter.

In contemporary culture, ‘Islamophobia’ is one of the hottest topics. The younger Bush’s war on terror launched upon 9/11 had provided a fertile ground for anti-Muslim sentiment not only in the USA but also in Europe. The coming decade did not ease the growing dislike towards Muslims. Afghanistan, Iraq, the rise of ISIS and the ongoing Syrian civil war all demonized Muslims, and when it could not get worse, the never-ending stream of immigrants hit Europe. Muslim minorities have been omnipresent in several European communities (France, England, Germany and Netherlands just to mention a few), but the ‘new, real threat’ of Islam extremism (Charlie Hebdo, the Paris attacks) alongside with the unsettling thought of hundreds of thousands of immigrants pouring into Europe have been seemingly undermining the relative peace of the continent. One thing is undeniable: the (in)acceptance of Muslims has become a crucial matter to deal with.

But is ‘Islamophobia’ the word to use as a flagship of the discrimination against Muslims? The answer I propose is a simple ‘no’. I trust we can agree (following the explanation provided above) that a ‘phobia’ is an anxiety disorder, and since it is deployed by psychologists to describe a medical condition, the word Islamophobia is incorrect by definition. Okay, so what about anti-Semitism? It is not an accurate term either, as not every Jewish is a member of the Semitic people, yet any aggression Jewish face would be labeled anti-Semitism. This term was coined in the mid-19th century, during the birth of the nation states. In an era when pseudo-scientific theories infested the freshly founded, national pride based countries, racism drew the power lines. Interestingly enough, it was those who called themselves the ‘Aryan’ race who picked up the term ‘anti-Semitism’ in an attempt to justify their claims to be a superior race above all. We all know how that played out. I hope that the results of these ideologies are sobering enough in the 21st century to make us realize where these fallacious terms, such as anti-Semitism lead our ancestors. I also hope it highlights how anachronistic an inherently wrong would be to subscribe to the notion of ‘Islamophobia’ in our time.

However, some words eventually gain a new meaning through their usage and leave their original form behind. Following this line of thought, ‘Islamophobia’ - the word and the meaning - can be justified. So what’s the problem then?

The issue is that we already know a word for the feeling we have towards a certain group of people whose culture differs to such extent that it evokes fear or hatred. It is called xenophobia. And the reason I prefer calling anti-Islamic sentiment ‘xenophobia’ rather than ‘Islamophobia’ is quite simple. It does not categorize, nor grants any privilege. It does not make a difference between the hatred people feel towards Muslims or the fear they have towards Christians, Hindus etc. It does not rank groups of people. What ‘Islamophobia’ does, on the other hand, is much more dangerous. By separating xenophobia and ‘Islamophobia’, it claims that there is a specifically anti-Muslim sentiment that can only be defined by the term ‘Islamophobia’. This creates a ‘privileged’ status for not only the Muslim minorities but also anyone who would push a political agenda (CAIR would be one to mention). But even worse, it widens the gap between native populations of Western countries and the Muslim communities. The moment ‘Islamophobia’ becomes a term, we add another word that supports the argument that Muslims are not the same as the majority of the population. It magnifies the differences that have been already present (see France for instance) and deepens the division amidst the society.

‘Islamophobia’ does not support equality. It undermines it. What the West needs is definitely a deeper understanding of the issue at hand. What the West needs is seeing more clearly through a flurry of extreme agendas of political correctness on one hand and overt xenophobia on the other. Islamophobia exaggerates a problem where a solution is needed. The USA’s Muslim population (0.9%, roughly 3 million people) used to be better off than most Muslim minorities in the West. The war on terror, however, put their relative welfare in jeopardy (just like it happened to the Japanese during WW2- and let’s hope things would not escalate to such extents). Anti-Muslim sentiment is indeed on the rise: Republican candidates encourage hatred beyond doubt and the immigrant issue is one of the hottest topics of the ongoing campaign season. Europe would be another major example (perhaps worth to analyze in another article).

It is, I hope, clear: we have to tackle the problem.

But not by creating more division. Not by calling everyone who questions Islamic faith a racist (I hope I do not have to stop to explain how ridiculous Mr. Affleck was here). The best way possible is through conversation. Sam Harris and Majid Nawaz tried, and it worked out pretty well.

But by supporting the idea of ‘Islamophobia’, we suggest that Islam is unquestionable, undebatable and untouchable.

We suggest that it is a sort of taboo topic. And for this reason, we better just get used to it and fit our customs and routines into the desired form and shape. ‘Islamophobia’ suggests that it is us, who question, are wrong: it demands us to inspect our thinking thoroughly. And chiefly it suggests that we should not have a conversation about it.

If there is one thing the West does not need it is a sense of guilt or shame. Most Western citizens know history enough to be at least a little ashamed of their ancestors’ deeds (even though it is not justified to feel that way). By bringing ‘Islamophobia’ in, its perpetrators attempt to play with the forgiving sentiment of modern societies in hope of pushing their own political agenda. No, when I say political agenda, I do not fantasize about Muslim majority European countries -the nightmare of conservative politicians-, I only warn about the divisive element this ideology brings in.

The growing anti-Muslim sentiment has to be faced and eventually eliminated. But by the use of twisted rhetoric and creating more division, Islamophobia only worsens the situation.

There is a medical term that seems fitting to define the mindset of those who believe that ‘Islamophobia’ is a thing. It is called Allodoxaphobia: the fear of opinions.