Lol, you're racist, somehow... Some way

I cannot begin to tell you how sick I am of the phrase "islamophobia." Honestly. You cannot sit and critique a religion, something that is the foundation of all criticism, or so Marx said. Let's set aside those who are bigoted and racially fearful, judging someone based on skin colour is accusing someone of false character because of the chemical pigmentation of their skin. That's a whole other bag of garbage to take out later.

But let's take a quick look at the overwhelming abuse of the word "islamophobia" or the label of "islamophobic" by folks like the brilliant, sarcasm, Ben Affleck. I am fully for criticizing bad ideas or problematic doctrines. In fact, the idea that someone's religious or superstitious beliefs go unquestioned is absolutely reprehensible to me as I feel it should be to all others. Coddling those who we disagree with without lending any genuine criticism is downright insulting and should be offensive to those being "protected" by societal equivalents of helicopter moms who insist that little Johnny or little Suzy cannot possibly be terrible children, even after they have lied, stolen or broken something, or left a pleasant pile of excrement on the floor.

To deny adults criticism of their bad ideas is a hand-holding that encourages bad behaviour and does not offer any push for the person to grow. To say that criticism of a religion is a hate-driven, racially divisive bit of discrimination should be offensive to any follower of Islam who seeks to see peace for their people in any land. Moderate Muslim Tarek Fatah should be a name that comes to mind to any of those seeking to find an internal and well thought out criticism of issues surrounding his culture and religious following.

I will also leave you with this, a quote by Salman Rushdie. Many years ago he wrote a book that took a concept from Islam and put it into a novel, a piece of fiction, and had an international call for his death within the Islamic community. That book was The Satanic Verses.