Christchurch shooting: Why are we not using the word Islamophobia?Make no mistake, it was not just one man and his gun that killed 50 innocent worshippers in Christchurch, the whole Islamophobia industry had its finger on that trigger too – and yet, in much important commentary about the terrorist attack in Christchurch, the word Islamophobia is often missing.
Yes, it is true that Islamophobia is deeply connected with racism and xenophobia but unless we acknowledge its specificity in the mode of operation and the group of people it targets, we won't be able to fulfil our moral responsibility to tackle it.
Islamophobia is an industry intent on demonisation of Islam and silencing Muslim voices, especially when those voices seek to claim their rights or speak on behalf of their own interests in the public sphere.
It really is important for us to understand that Islamophobia is more than just an uninformed fear of Muslims or harsh talk; Islamophobia is a systematic and institutional form of racism.
It is the not-so-random checks at the airport – the type that led to the racial profiling of two hijab-wearing Christchurch Muslim sisters at the Brisbane airport in 2015. It is the policing and surveillance of the Muslim community. It is asking Muslims to apologise for crimes they did not commit. It is assuring people that a certain individual is "a good Muslim" – as if Muslims in general are bad people. It is the Muslim travel ban and the call for Muslim registry in the US. It is when merely speaking Arabic is mistaken as an extremist threat.
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christ ... lamophobiaA few on here need to read it in it's entirety then have a long think.
