Is It Racist to Criticize Islam?

Saturday

WHEN I'M TALKING about Islamic teachings, sometimes people say, "That seems racist." I usually respond that I'm talking about the teachings, not the person, and that it couldn't be racist anyway because Islam is not a race. There are Muslims of every race on earth.

I make the point that: "Even if I were to say, 'All Muslims are evil,' that's not racism, either. It would be an overgeneralization, but it's not racism. If I said, 'Indonesians are evil,' THAT would be racism."


I just came across a story I'm going to keep in mind next time someone accuses me of racism.
As the story shows, anyone from any race or country can be a devout Muslim, and if he is following the strict teachings of Islam, he is a threat to any non-Muslim of any race. The story is about training whites in Muslim training camps.

The "racism response" is one of the most common reactions people have when they hear about Islamic supremacism. You and I need to be clear on why our criticisms of Islam are not racism so we can answer effectively.

If I said the tenets, recruitment practices, and indoctrination techniques of the Ku Klux Klan are dangerous to civil rights in America, would anyone call my statement "racist?" Would it be called "hate speech?" Am I suffering from KuKluxKlanophobia?


No, those criticisms would be ridiculous. Rather, my statement that
the tenets, recruitment practices, and indoctrination techniques are dangerous to civil rights is a legitimate statement of debate, and there is nothing the matter with stating it openly and talking about it.

But say the same about Islamic supremacism in mixed company and there is an almost audible gasp, and an embarrassed silence, as if you had broken some sacred taboo. Why? The Islamic supremacists themselves have been accusing their critics of racism and hate speech and Islamophobia, and they've influenced the mainstream media to do the same, so it has entered the mainstream cultural thought-process. Now, it is an almost automatic emotional reaction.

Islamic supremacists have been using these accusations because they know in this country we have a hot-button on those issues. Nobody wants to be considered racist. The Jihadis use this fact as a weapon.

So we need to carefully and effectively explain to everyone why criticism of Islam is quite different from hate speech, Islamophobia, or racism. Make this distinction clearly and persuasively. People need to hear about Islam, but as long as they have this barrier to their listening, you can't get through.

Start with the idea that learning about Islam actually prevents racism.

16 comments:

Damien 12:45 PM  

Citizen Warrior,

You definitively correct to say that it isn't racist. Islam has nothing to do with race, and generally, neither does opposition to it and its practices.

Damien 12:59 PM  

Citizen Warrior,

Sorry about the bad English in my last comment. I need to slow down and check before I hit the publish button.

Laura Lee - Grace Explosion 6:35 PM  

I think keep it simple. If you were speaking about the danger of Nazi-ism - people wouldn't accuse you of racism. People need to understand that being a Nazi and being Muslim are about the same thing. A person could say, "I'm a moderate Nazi"... and, knowing what Nazi's are about - we wouldn't feel more comfortable. Neither should we be comfortable the "moderate Muslims". It's a Nazi type faith. It's MORE EVIL than the Nazi movement... and has much in common.

Dinah Lord 11:06 AM  

Thank you for your excellent post, CW.

Unknown 7:05 AM  

islam is exactly the same as Nazism. Although it's called a religion it's not. It's the beggist fraud ever perpitrated against humanity since Hitler claimed power and cost the Earth millions of lives. That's exactly what islam calls for death and destruction of anyone who doesn't convert, including any and all non-believers throughout the entire globe; just starting with the Jews and Christians.

Anonymous 11:45 PM  

.
Excellent post CW, this is often the first conversation I have had with people about Jihad. This barrier usually must be pierced first to allow for more pointed and factual discussions of Islam and Jihad.
.
here's an absurd thought -
your Supreme God says
Christians are a race

who love the Jewish race
and the peaceful Buddhist race


absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
never mock Hamas

it's just their religion
you RIGHT-WING INFIDEL
.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
.
What Really Happened in the MidEast?
.
Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
.
Help Stop Terrorism Today!
.
USpace

:)
.

Mel 11:27 AM  

When you see what Islamist groups like Hamas do to their own children, it really isn't hard to imagine what they have in store for the rest of us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTGbP55HGi8

Damien 12:15 PM  

SerbBlog.com,

I saw that video and it is disturbing, and it just goes to show why there's no reasoning with these people.

Anonymous 8:51 AM  

Interesting article.

I agree with most of it. And I am a Muslim.

Anonymous 8:51 AM  

Interesting article.

I agree with most of it. And I am a Muslim.

Anonymous 6:57 PM  

When someone says "don't talk that way; it is offensive", well what about innocent civilians dying in 4 planes which crashed in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, highjacked by a band of thugs claiming moral authority to do so? Does that not offend you?

Anonymous 7:39 PM  

Can we be one happy family ?

Anonymous 5:19 PM  

I've had someone tell me that racists criticize Islam only because "most Moslems are dark skinned"!

Citizen Warrior 10:13 PM  

How do you respond?

Citizen Warrior 12:35 AM  

Since some Muslims are born in the West, we can't very well "send them back to their own countries." The problem is the ideology, which needs to be exposed, marginalized, and disempowered. What Muslims are doing is not really the problem. It's that Western societies respond weakly because of their ignorance of even the most basic facts about Islamic doctrine. The answer is education. Make sure everybody you know understands what Islam is about, and don't give up until you accomplish this. After that is done, start spreading the information beyond your personal sphere.

Islamic encroachment can only work when the non-Muslims know nothing about Islam. As soon as enough of us know, the jig is up. No more concessions to Islam.

Anonymous 1:05 AM  

they have to be stopped at all cost lets get the job done

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Click here to read the article.


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