Algeria: On Islamophobia

Algerian Nouri discusses his ideas on Islamophobia in this post.

7 comments

  • John kactuz

    I went to Nouri’s blog, and it does not accept comments – so I will make an important point here.

    He says: “Most discriminatory behavior at ground level in the “Islamophobic” context is motivated by the physical features of the victims”

    On the other hand, what he calls islamophobia could just be a reaction to the violence we see in Muslims, or the hate in the Quran against non-Muslims. Think about that, instead of the “Islamophonia is racism” excuse that is so popular among Muslims. Islam is an ideology, not a race. Duhhhh.

    If people dislike Islam, it could just be because of what Muslims do and the way they treat people. It could be, because where Muslims dominate, they discriminate, oppress and teach hate. Of course, to look at ”islamophobia” based upon the actions of Muslims means having to think about these actions and would require one to examine the soul of Islam. Blaming others is so much easier.

    Here is a better discussion on this topic from a Muslim blog.
    http://archive.eteraz.org/story/2007/6/30/13276/9600

    Read the comments, please. One person writes about ‘islamophobia’:
    Quote: I used to dislike the term, too, for some of the same reasons, but then I considered how when you get to the bottom of the issue it is indeed fear that motivate many “critics”, just as fear motivates many homophobes and xenophobes. I agree that one must distinguish between prejudice and
    legitimate criticism. (I say “legitimate” because non-Muslims have a God-given, Islamic right to constructively share their reasons for not being
    Muslim, even if the shariah establishment has only recently begun to come to grips with that fact.) The problem today is that this geopolitical climate makes it so that 1) many non-Muslims mix the two when discussing Islam and 2) Muslims find it difficult to see the distinction in this climate — when it is made at all — and treat everything as an attack… End of quote.

    So, according to Muslims like Nouri and most others, if a person dislikes Islam, he/she is either a racist or afraid. Simple, isn’t it? The hate and violence done by Muslims has nothing to do with it. Nothing at all. Also,
    anybody that says anything unkind about Islam is immediately said to be misinformed or ignorant.

    This same topic is also found on another good blog. Note my post.
    http://akramsrazor.typepad.com/islam_america/2007/06/using-the-wikip.html

    Muslims will not accept that people have a right to criticize Islam. This is why Muslims are bigots and hypocrites. That is why Islam is synonomous with terror, violence and repression. That is why basic concepts such as freedom, equality and human righst are alien to Islamic societies.

    I have read the Quran and the hadith. It have also read most of the early works of Islam, including Hisham and Kathir. It took me 3 months to get through the 30+ volumes of Tabari. I can say with absolute certainty that Islam is full of hate and violence. I can also say that according to Islam’s own traditions, Islam’s great prophet did countless vile things that any person would condemn in a minute if the man’s name were not “Muhammad”. Oh yes, these things were written by his friends and followers, not his enemies. Many of these passages can be found online, if one cares to look.

    Who knows, maybe, this may be why people don’t like Islam.

    Does this statement make me an islamophobe? No, it makes me a critic of Islam. I dislike it as an ideology. Am I afraid of Islam? Obviously not. Most Muslims are not violent, but they are also not honest about Islam or realistic about its many problems. This is why things will get worse, much worse.

    Kactuz

  • Med

    There is a lot of violence in the Bible and the Torah as well, and some of the prophets of Judaism for example, have been really violent and ruthless. On the other hand, up to the 16th century, for many Christian clerks “Women do not have a soul and do not belong to the human race, as is shown by many passages of Holy Scripture”. This is a quote from a pamphlet by Simon Geddicus, published at Lyons in France in 1647. However, like the vast majority of Christians and Jews, most Muslims live in the 21st century where the ill-treatment of women, and violence motivated by religious beliefs are considered as belonging to ancient history and proscribed. Unfortunately, a minority of radical Muslim extremists (“fundamentalists”), poorly educated, backwards-leaning bigots, operating on the margins of the 1.5 billion Muslims, have heavily politicized their religion, and are resorting to violence. They are of course not representative of the 1.5 billion Muslims who peacefully practice their religion, and who accept and seek change, evolution, and modernity, with difficulties sometimes or at their own pace, but who are definitely moving ahead…

  • So there is Violence in the Bible. And that makes violence in Islam OK? Are you going to become a Hindu or Buddhist? Or Athiest? That would be your logical choice, given your statement.

    The calendar has nothing to do with this. Most Muslims alive today live in the 21st Century. Duhhh. To play date and time, You-did-this, we-did-that games is a futile pasttime, unless you have a time-machine in your closet.

    It is not a “tiny minority” that is the problem. It is the silent majority of Muslims who are either ignorant, in denial or just don’t care. They are responsible for what Muslims do and don’t do. They are responsible for letting the terror happen. They are responsible for the hate in the mosques and textbooks. They are responsible for the vile treatment of religious minorities, jews, women, and gays in all Islamic societies. They are representative of the 1.2-1.3 billion Muslims who say they are peaceful but tolerate intolerance, oppression and discrimination everywhere they dominate. Look at Islamic societies and tell me that I am wrong. Look at the lack and freedoms and human rights. Look at the apostasy laws. Look at the situation of the Copts. Look at the exodus of Christians from the Middle East. Look how the Saudis treat non-Muslims – And so on…

    Most Muslims are peaceful only if we are talking about the peace of silent voices in the face of oppression or the peace of subdued hearts and minds that refuse to look at the brutal reality of their society and religion. This is not peace, this is consent to let others practice evil. The so-called “minority of radical Muslim extremists” live in the midst of the so-called peaceful majority, and this majority feeds and nutures the minority. Oh yes, the radicals may be evil, but they are not poorly educated, backwards-leaning, or even bigots. They know the Quran and ahadith. They are just doing what their dear prophet did.

    Yes, they are moving ahead, back to the 7th Century. In case you haven’t noticed, every year Islam is becoming more radicalized and intolerant. Every year the so-called moderate Muslims make the same excuses and blame everybody and everything for their problems – except Islam.

    Med, things are going to get worse. Too bad for all of us. Good people will get hurt. I blame Islam. I blame Muslims for their hate and intolerance. I blame Muslims because they are afraid to look at islam in the mirror and reflect on what it means and what it does.

    When Muslims start treating others the way they want to be treated, when Muslims give full rights and equality to Christians, Jews, hindus, women, gays, etc… in those societies where they dominate, then we can talk about peace. Until then, Islam is nothing but a religion of hate and violence – for the radicals – and ignorance and denial – for the moderates.

    Kactuz

  • John

    listen up Kactuz. let me clarify something.

    If you really did read the Quran, than you would know that Islam gives women the right to divorce, be financially free, depend upon themselves..etc at a time period when christianity and judaism discriminated. Islam also lets women keep their maiden names after marraige and it tells me to protect women with all their strength. This shows that women are valued. I will admitt that their are muslims today that do oppress women, however that doesnt mean their right. Islam never says that a woman should be forced to wear a head-scarf yet in Saudia Arabia women are forced to. obviously practice doesnt match with what is said in the Quran and the Hadith. Also lets not forget that Islam allows basic freedom of religion at a time when people would be killed for believing in another faith (ie when the christians took control of Jerusalm and killed all muslims and jews in the city) Islam provided and introduced many rights that a large amount of people enjoy today 1400 years ago. and if you did know anything about islam you would know that islam teaches violence when it comes to protecting own’s home and in today’s cases their own country. on the issues of gays, islam does discriminate i wont deny it mostly because of the story of Job and the Sodomites. Christianity and Judasim both discriminate against them also. SO before you attack islam on oppressing and discriminating against gays lets not forget about the other main religions in the world.

    what you have to understand about islam is that muslims believe that the Quran’s true messege is only known to God and the Prophet Mohammad. So what you have to realize is that it is all based on interpretations. Some people enterpret (for example) the statement that women should where veils. Some people think that “should” means forcing them. others think that women have the choice and that it is better for them if they do. Their are different kinds of interpretations in islam such as wahabism which dominates the Saudi law and government but not neccesarrily the people.

    you are right about offending islam. All muslims do get angered. But i dont think a christian would like it if someone drew jesus’s head on the body of a pig. would they? priests and the catholic church would be outraged just like muslims and the prophet mohammad. The gesture would simply offend them. just like if i made fun of you or someone else they might get offended and answer back and insult me.

    you blame muslims of persecuting non-muslims etc… this just proves that islam is currently in the position christianity was a couple decades back. When abortion first came to the scene christians started bombing abortion clinics and hospitals that give abortions. and lets not forget about the violence that raged on in Ireland. As you see, you blame muslims of violnce and persecution, and other stuff. but it’s all been done by other religions too. which makes it unfair to attack islam and not the other religions. christianity oppressed women, hates gays, and persecuted non-christians during their time. so did judaism. if you gonna attack islam than maybe you should be fair and attack the three religions all together.

  • John

    lol.. you also say that islam discriminates against gays. lmao. are you serious. islam does discriminate. i’m not gonna deny but do does the United States. They don’t provide many gay rights laws into congress. so dont limit the attack on gays to islam. christianity and judaism both discriminate too. the church hates gays and lets see if gays are welcome in a synongoge. if your gonna attack the fact that gays are discriminated against people be fair and attack all religions that do so and all countries that do so.

  • Mark

    Just a note on the comment that all religions are associated with violence. Yes, there are such things as religious wars, but real wholesale slaughter has usually been the domain of those unrestrained by religion’s moderating influence.

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