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Conflict in the Middle East

Can someone explain Islamophobia to me?

729 replies

BaMamma · 22/02/2025 19:33

I don't think I have an irrational fear of Muslims, but I think I have a reasonable concern about radical Islam, does that make me Islamophobic?

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Scirocco · 10/03/2025 20:54

@50GoingOn30 sorry for the delay in replying, I've been at work. For some Muslim women, choices about wearing hijab or other hair coverings, choices about face coverings, and choices about clothing in general, aren't really made with a focus on men or men's desires, but instead are made with regard to a person's own relationship with their faith.

There are texts about the importance of dressing modestly, for both men and women. How people (who wish to do so) understand and put those into practice can vary substantially. Probably the most widely practised guidance is around covering hair for prayers - whether praying alone, with other women or in a mixed/public setting. Covering hair in that context is about covering it as part of a personal relationship with God. Many women may have very personal reasons for wearing or not wearing hair coverings, face coverings, different clothing styles, etc., and many of those reasons will not be about men looking or not looking at them.

There are men who control and oppress women and use clothing as a way of doing so. This isn't unique to Islam. It is, in my opinion, contrary to the values of Islam to do so, but some Muslim men do it anyway. If any woman - Muslim or not - is feeling coerced or is being forced to wear something, then I fully support her right to resist such oppression and make her own choices. There is plenty of guidance in Islam about the importance of people making their own choices.

Among the Muslim women with whom I socialise, I'm not aware of any judgement or criticism of people for wearing or not wearing hair coverings, face coverings or different clothing styles. A group of us were out the other night and our outfits crossed a pretty broad spectrum of choices. There's bound to be judgey people out there - there always are, just check AIBU or S&B for examples - but it isn't something I've really experienced.

BaMamma · 10/03/2025 21:46

BaMamma · 10/03/2025 20:00

There's been a lot of discussion about women's face and/or hair/body coverings. It's a bit of a distraction really.

Is it Islamophobic to question whether Islamic values are compatible with Western values? I'd say that in the west we strive for tolerance, how far does that extend?

Ahem?

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Fifiworks · 10/03/2025 22:10

Between travel and meeting people here I think most people’s values primarily consist of banal stuff like have a secure home and being able to support your family. So yes we do all have shared values.

I always teach my kids that we all have a shared humanity and to be suspicious of arguments that want to paint a whole group of people as “not like us”

TooBigForMyBoots · 11/03/2025 00:59

BaMamma · 10/03/2025 20:00

There's been a lot of discussion about women's face and/or hair/body coverings. It's a bit of a distraction really.

Is it Islamophobic to question whether Islamic values are compatible with Western values? I'd say that in the west we strive for tolerance, how far does that extend?

The discussion around what women wear wasn't a distraction @BaMamma . Your focus on it has been evident from the early in this thread.

Are Muslim values compatible with western values?

I'd say "Yes". Not only are Muslim values compatible with western values, they are part of them. We have been mixing, adapting, procreating and learning from eachother for more than a millenia.

I'd say that in the west we strive for tolerance, how far does that extend?

Not far if we judge women for what they wear. And not far if we think Muslim Faith = Islamic violence. How tolerant are you @BaMamma?

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