Islamophobia, but no Christianphobia? – Dialectic Two-Step

Question:

Why is there Islamophobia, but not Christianity-phobia, Hinduism-phobia or Buddhism-phobia?

Response:

A phobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.

Perhaps Islamophobia is a poor term. Because, there are certainly good rational reasons to fear a religion when it’s adherents call for death as punishment for apostasy. It is very rational to fear such a consequence.

If there was a suffix that signified rational fear of something, I would replace phobia with it. For now, let’s just use the word fear.

So Islamophobia becomes Islamofear and, as I stated before it is very real and justified. Similarly, Christianofear makes complete sense with it’s threat of eternal damnation and persecution of minority groups like homosexuals. Buddhafear is alive and well in countries like Myanmar where being a Muslim Rohingya subjects you to persecution and death. Finally, Hindofear is quite natural in the context of Hindu Nationalism.

I think there are rational reasons to fear most, if not all, religions.  I don’t think the term Islamophobia means what we think it means. It feels like it’s time to update the language.

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Dialectic Two-Step  is an ongoing series of my thoughts on questions that come my way.

Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the two. - Octavio

Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst

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