to think we all need to take responsibility for challenging islamophobia

[karbonfootprint]

It is so common and so hurtful to some of our fellow citizens. I don't think any of us should let it pass when we hear it, in private, but especially in public.

If islamaohobic is the criticism or examination of Islam then no op definatly not

I'm not talking about criticism or examination, but about general mockery, ignorance, and sneering. Some of my friends were really upset a few days ago by a conversation happening in front of them on a bus.

Yanbu, I agree with you. Sadly it has become ok to hate Muslims or blame them for everything. The media plays a huge part but we are the consumers of media, we can change things.

I don't really like the term islamophobia tbh. People that are anti-Muslim don't have a phobia of Islam or Muslims. What we are seeing is anti-Muslim hate crime, like anti-semitism.

Personally I challenge people exhibiting racist, sexist etc type behaviours. In my office job, I challenged several Muslims who felt they didn't have to do their job because their line manager was a woman. I also challenged when people used the fact that the London bombers were from our local area as an excuse to voice islamaphobic views.

Are you working on the assumption that most people don't challenge these views? Because most people I know, do challenge it.

because in my experience, it isn't challenged.

This is a depressing thread.

I am a Muslim. I am not homophobic nor am I a misogynist or anti Semitic.

I hate talking about Islamophobia because I don't want to shut down debate and I also don't want to prove those who say that Muslims are too sensitive/ can't take a joke etc right.

If criticism was just of "lifestyle choices" and my adherence to Islam that would be fine but over the past few days on MN a few threads have popped up that just feel like people were having a go. Regardless of what you do or say it seems that for some being a Muslim at all is offensive to some posters.

I think Muslims do constantly condemn extremism, but I am not sure if anyone is listening. When was the last time you saw an ordinary Muslim on TV? They always invite the nutters on to talk about their views.

I am not staying the community is blameless. There has been a real lack of leadership for decades and even now we are nowhere near to bridging the generational divide. I think we sleep walked into this crisis, but I also think that action is being taken and that things are improving.

I don't live in the UK. I live in the Middle East and thousands are killed each year by these evil monsters in my country. When will I have taken a strong enough position to deserve sympathy and support? When they threatened to attack my daughter's school? When they blew up the electricity substation beside it? When they bombed my local supermarket?

I think so many of you are forgetting that Muslims are victims of these terrorists too, and in very large numbers. Except while the terrorists try to blow us up we are deemed to have deserved it.

I'm not talking about criticism or examination, but about general mockery, ignorance, and sneering.

Oh come on! The above happens and is readily accepted in our society about Christianity daily

Shall we all challenge that too? No, because one is somehow acceptable and the other isn't. I want to live in a fair society where all are treated equally and it doesn't matter who you are. We can't have rules for one section of society and different rules for the other

Discussing, debating and joking about all religions is allowed. It is freedom of speech

That is exactly what I mean alteredimage. No body should feel so unsupported. We are all the same. Every type of groups of humans has lovely people, evil people, and normal people. The vast majority of all of us are normal with some lovely parts, I think! Normal people should be supporting normal people against all forms of bullying or aggression or violence, who ever it comes from, and who ever it is aimed at.

Yabu. I don't understand why racism is being discussed here - there are Muslims of all races, same as there are Christians of all races. I think people are rightly free to air their views about any religio, especially when many religions have offensive dictates about women's rights, gay rights, animal rights, people criticise the catholic church, Islam, all sorts, religion isn't beyond critique.

There's even islamophobia on a thread about Islamophobia

I'm not explaining myself very well. It is the totally un called for levels of hostility that I am referring to. I don't think Christians face the same thing at all.

It's not a competition. Both are mocked and criticized. The difference is that one is apparently acceptable and the other is islamophobia

I work with lots of Asian Muslims and whilst I find that there are nice and not so nice personalities, same as in any workplace, as a group there is far more "anti" feeling from the Muslims towards the Christians (although of course most aren't practicing Christians) than the other way around.

Some of them are perfectly prepared to say killing "infidels" that die in terrorist attacks is justified. I've never heard anyone from a Christian background be quite so vocal with that kind of attitude.

Islamaphobia appears to me to be an artificial construct aimed at silencing critics of islam. Personally I think that people should be able to freely laugh and point at those who follow any religion. Let the gods defend themselves.

I'm also sure why you can see why treating different members of society so different can create further tensions

As an atheist i take the opportunity to deride all religions equally. No religion deserves special treatment.

If you lived in 1200, you'd have heard Christians talking about killing infidels, all the time. We've grown out of it now. But, back in the day, we Christians were a lot better at religious hatred than most groups. Saladin even gave us one of the great lessons in tolerance.

People are free to mock religion just as people are free to follow it, we don't live in a theocracy.

I'm not about to discriminate against anyone for their religious beliefs, but I will question and laugh at the religion itself - that goes for all religions.

We've grown out of it now.

I think that's the point Dora. It's not acceptable by those living today. Apart from the exceptions of the extremists in Christianity too. It's still gives no reason for one behaviour to be acceptable and another one not to be today if we all want to live in a fair society

Not sure, to be honest, at the moment, I think Christianity has the edge on Capitalism. We can all mock anything. But, unless we've got the monopoly on wisdom, there might be a great deal of hollow laughter going on out there.

Well all we can do is move on and aim for a better society for all. Religious or not. It's not acceptable for one group to be deemed more important than others

In an age of photographic communication, it might be of public relations advantage for supposed Islamists to stop cutting people's heads off, throwing homosexuals off tall buildings, raping Yazidi girls and committing mass murders. None of those things speak to the beliefs of all Muslims. But, any PR person, worth their salt, is going to know that you are not going to win many converts from other walks of life if you present your religion as an exercise in barbarity and brutality.

Doing that says nothing about being a real Muslim. But, Muslims have to out Muslim the horror freak show, which the media has picked up. And, at the moment, good Muslims (the vast majority, in terms of billions) are a long way behind the few bloodthirsty morons on camera and on the Internet.

I'm not sure I understand what is meant by 'islamophobia.'

If it means blanket hatred of all Muslims, then no, of course YANBU. I have many kind, funny, generous and loyal friends who are also Muslims.

But if it means fear of Islam, that's something entirely different. I have lived in fundamentalist places, including Jeddah and Riyadh, and seen the religious police enforcing the tenets of Islam with their stout sticks.

I was very afraid. And I would be very afraid for my young female relatives in that situation. Am I an Islamophobe?

Islamaphobia means a fear of Islam. So, if you, or those close to you, are going to be hit with a stick, then, you're definitely Islamaphobic, I'm afraid.

In an age of photographic communication, it might be of public relations advantage for supposed Islamists to stop cutting people's heads off, throwing homosexuals off tall buildings, raping Yazidi girls and committing mass murders

Why? They're trying to attract people to fly out and join in, and it seems to be working quite well.