Can someone explain Islamophobia to me?

[BaMamma]

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?

I think being worried about the rise of Islamic extremism is a completely valid and justifiable concern, OP.
It does not make you Islamophobia.

I think there being a terror attack against Muslims in Edinburgh last week and the media and government not giving it the same priority in terms of reporting and headline news is a perfect example of Islamophobia.

The media did widely report on it, I read about it in the BBC but it was reported in other media too like Sky News and the Telegraph.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2x9j1en29o

Thousands join anti-racism demo after terrorism-linked murder bids https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cql1k9z5gk3o

I’d argue the opposite in fact. Five people were injured, three required hospital treatment, none of the injuries were life threatening and it made national news.

I googled and apparently 8 people are hospitalised every day in Scotland due to knife related injuries. Most of those we never hear about. Only when there is something that will drive media attention about the victims or perpetrator(s) does it feature in national news.

There was a reclaim our streets anti racism demonstration in Edinburgh where thousands of people came out in solidarity with the victims. Doesn’t seem indicative of Islamophobia to me.

I am sorry but I disagree.. the biggest british media BBC has reported and also covered the rally after it. BBC is usually very slow in covering knife attacks.

Reporting on a story is very different to the coverage that usually happens whenever there is a terror attack or for example, after the Golders Green stabbing. Those were headline news and top stories, with live updates, feeds and reporting.

What happened in Edinburgh was a story or two on each site, after the event had happened.

Anyone who points to the reporting of the Edinburgh terror attack and says it was given the same priority in terms of reporting and updates is being disingenuous.

Or possibly indicative of the London-centric nature of bbc reporting. They have been widely criticised for this for decades.

I was talking to a person at a stall who was promoting the Islamic faith and as we discussed the difference between the 3 Abrahamic religions it became quite obvious that the woman I was talking to could not accept or aim to tolerate the fundamentals of the other faiths e.g. she was quite adamant Jesus Christ was not the son of god. I explained as a Christian I don't believe Mohammed revived the word of God from Gabriel as Jesus Christ was the messiah and Christians await his second coming. I was then told it was Islamophobic to openly say Mohammed was not the true messanger of God so is Islamaphobia being used to shield Mulsims from genuine questioning and crtiticising religion which has been the bed rock of liberal thought for centuries?

If we took the 'Life of Brian' by Monty Python and replaced Brian with a Mohammed like figure would this automatically deemed offensives and Islamophobic? I think it would.

It definitely would.

It's hypocrisy for that woman to tell you (as a Christian) that Jesus Christ was not the son of god while calling it Islamophobic to say Mohammed was not the true messenger of God.

People are entitled to express their religious beliefs openly in the UK. A right she fully enjoyed when challenging your religious beliefs.

We have to protect freedom of religion and thought. The problem is with the Abrahanic religions there is direct contradiction of belief about a religion that has its religion in the same texts. (It was some conversation about who Moses/Musa lead to the promised land of Israel.....). To be Christian or Jewish you have to accept there is need to claim so elements of the Islamic faith are false as then you can't fully adhere to your own belief syatem. For religions to coexist there needs to be this acknowledgment and therefore it can't be fundamentally offensive to say Mohammed did not receive the word of God and was not a true prophet if you are committed Jew or Christian. We do not have blasphemy laws in this country for good reason and I would unashamedly argue against anyone who tried to implement them. A lot of Muslims I know do not like this aspect of UK freedom though.

I accept that the woman thought Jesus a Muslim as part of her faith so she should accept that I don't believe Mohammed received the word of God as part of mine. ITo state my belief is not Islamaphobic and should not be treated as such.

Sounds like you were using Western values to respect freedom of religious thought whereas she was not.

Are you doing the same thing - my burqa is different to and afghani woman’s burqa?

Your Life Of Brian swap is a pretty poor analogy. The film was banned in Ireland, Norway and so heavily censored in Italy that it made no sense.
11 county councils outright banned it and another 28 made the watching age to 18+, although originally classified at 14. Some of these restrictions were only lifted in 2009.

Lots of people object to religious fanaticism, of all kinds.

Not really - MN is a UK site and it wasn’t banned in the UK and is now seen as a classic funny film.

It was banned in 11 counties, in the UK.

“only lifted in 2009” lol - that’s nearly 20 years ago!

It’s a British classic.

I hope, as a Christian, you are also out and about challenging the beliefs of those fundamentalist Christians too. Because a large portion of the critical thinking population find their beliefs extremely frightening too.

Do we have a problem with fundamental Christians in the UK? I am not aware they are doing things that people need to find extremely frightening?

There’s a big wide world out there Twigs, believe it or not. They have a heavy influence over politics in the US of A.

Anyway, a quick copy and paste as I am off out. Some of these restrictions were problems they are causing in the UK

Secular vs. Religious Tensions: Fundamentalist groups actively campaign against liberal social policies—such as abortion rights and LGBTQ+ equality. This often leads to friction with the secular majority in the UK, where public opinion is generally progressive. 1, 2, 3]
Political Influence and "Christian Nationalism": There is growing concern about the rise of ethno-nationalism and the "Americanization" of Christian politics in the UK. Some political figures and organizations use Christianity as a cultural and nationalist weapon to promote anti-globalist, anti-immigration, or anti-Islam rhetoric. 1, 2, 3]

Not really something the UK should be advocating.

Yes there's a big world out there but this discussion is about the UK because @mids2019 had a conversation with a Muslim woman in the UK.

@mids2019 said:

I accept that the woman thought Jesus a Muslim as part of her faith so she should accept that I don't believe Mohammed received the word of God as part of mine. ITo state my belief is not Islamaphobic and should not be treated as such.

You then said to her, "I hope, as a Christian, you are also out and about challenging the beliefs of those fundamentalist Christians too".

But who are these fundamentalist Christians in the UK that mids should be "out and about challenging" ? The only groups I could find in the UK are very niche and the average UK person probably wouldn't meet any.

And those oh so friendly Tommy Robinson marches that are happening in the UK. Are they just espousing good old Christian values?

Crosses are carried at Tommy Robinson marches to symbolize the belief that European and British cultural identity is fundamentally rooted in Christianity, and to position the rallies as a defense of Western values. 1, 2]
The displays serve a few specific purposes for the protesters:
Cultural Preservation: Many attendees believe that Christianity is the foundation of British society and that protecting this heritage is the only way to maintain the nation's traditional way of life. 1]
Christian Nationalism: Marches—such as the massive "Unite the Kingdom" demonstrations in London—have heavily featured Christian imagery, mass recitations of the Lord's Prayer, and chants of "Christ is King". src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/oV92B4oR6FM?start=2" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> 1, 2]
Symbol of a "Crusade": Some demonstrators use crosses (including historic Crusader imagery) as a symbol of protecting Europe and resisting the perceived Islamization of Britain. 1, 2]

Do you believe the pp is challenging these people on their Christian beliefs??

Not unless she is at a Tommy Robinson march, no.

It's not clear that she "challenged" the Muslim woman she talking to at a stall, either. Beyond explaining her Christian beliefs and being accused of being Islamophobic due to different beliefs.

If some people find talking about religious beliefs challenging then that's their problem, as long as the other person isn't being rude.

But these people, in the UK, are using the umbrella of “Christianity” to hide their racism and Islamophobia. Must be pretty frightening if you are Muslim, or an immigrant.

Not the kind of Britain I could be proud of.

Are you blaming all British Christians for a few extremists?

Sounds as racist as those who blame all Muslims for Islamic extremists.