Islamophobia (noun): An irrational fear of Islam.

Michel Houelbeq, renowned French writer and poet, wrote a satirical novel called ‘Submission’, describing a dystopia where a Muslim political party wins the 2022 election, and instills Islamist and patriarchal values in a once-Westernised France. In an interview with The Guardian about the novel, he is asked whether he is Islamophobic, to which he replies:

“Probably, yes, but the word ‘phobia’ means fear rather than hatred”.

Here, we not only acknowledge the ambiguity of the term, but also infer Houelbeq’s interpretation. He refers to a common fear in Western society that pervades Islam today, viewing Islam as a medieval system of beliefs, promoting outdated Shairah politics which many view as wholly incompatible with Western life.

Undoubtedly, this mostly arises from reading the incessantly published stories about Islamist terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, who have committed moral atrocities whilst replace preexisting communities with exclusively Islamist values.

I will not challenge Houelbeq’s definition as much as I aim to clarify what could be meant when people say they have a ‘fear’ of Islam. And I think I get what he means:

The often insular communities of Muslim immigrants settling into Western society present the impression that Muslims are an inaccessible, closed-off minority group which refuses to integrate. When old pubs are renovated into mosques, and young children at schools wear headscarves, I can somewhat empathise with Western nationalists that Islam appears to be frightening when its ideals are not ostensibly clear and they seem to antagonise Western culture.

As humans, we often fear what we don’t know, and generally speaking, those who claim to fear Islam are often unaware of what the faith actually includes, and see Islam and Muslims as alien. Most of their impressions regarding Islam is perpetuated by media outlets which disparage the religion, unfairly blame terrorist attacks on a complete ideology, and expose negative and extreme renditions of it rather than a balanced, unbiased perspective.

Had they been in contact with Muslims in their life, I suspect they would treat them no differently than anybody else. But for those who have Muslim friends, are familiar with some tenants of the faith, and yet still have this fear, what is the case for them? Must we condemn them for having an aversion to the faith, for fearing the virility of traditionally patriarchal and homophobic views which threaten progress of Western development?

I think not. My previous articles on Islam demonstrate above all that criticising a religious ideology is bound to cause controversy, but it is a necessary and constructive conversation required for positive growth.