Written submission from Anonymous (HCL0018)

Re: Further evidence on Islamophobia

1. I am submitting these comments as an individual out of concern for the quality of public discussion on important matters. In general, I would like to see a better quality of thinking and writing in public life.

Impact of adopting an official definition of ‘Islamophobia’

2. An official definition, of any kind, would support and encourage use of this unhelpful and loaded term. There are two major problems with this word. First, it sounds like it should refer to unreasonable fear, or level of fear, of Islam but in reality is more usually used to refer to any level of negativity about Muslim people or Islam. Even the more careful use to refer to anti-Muslim prejudice is not consistent with the word Islamophobia, since it is neither about Islam (the religion) nor a phobia. Second, Islamophobia has been over-used to the extent that it creates unnecessary and distracting anger, even when used to refer to genuine incidents of anti-Muslim prejudice.
3. It would be much more helpful to advise that Islamophobia should not be used at all and that, instead, accurate phrases should be used, where true, such as:

• ‘anti-Muslim prejudice’
• ‘anti-Islam bigotry’
• ‘concern about Islamic teachings’
• ‘concern about the content of Islamic sacred texts’

4. I personally have experienced, on Facebook, a person who used ‘Islamophobia’ to attack any information that was negative about Islam or Muslims, no matter how fairly and factually presented, and no matter how serious those issues were. Although a productive conversation online was held by others concerned, this aggressive use of Islamophobia (and similar tactics) was a distraction and made it harder to stick to logic and fairness. The words used in government should support logic and fairness, not undermine them.

The current extent of ‘Islamophobia’

5. As noted above, there are multiple interpretations of ‘Islamophobia’. This makes it hard to discuss the extent of ‘Islamophobia’ in the UK.
6. Anti-Muslim prejudice exists, but there are also people with concerns about the culture of at least some people who are Muslims, with concern that some of the cultural issues are partly driven by following Islam (e.g. in respect of homosexuals and women). Some of those concerns are legitimate and need to be discussed rationally. It would be counterproductive to label these legitimate concerns as Islamophobia.
7. Pro-Muslim prejudice also exists, with some people unable to see that some behaviours more common among Muslims in the UK, or endorsed by Islamic sacred texts, are problematic. Using the word Islamophobia is one way that pro-Muslim prejudice is protected from legitimate criticism.
8. There are also both irrational fears and legitimate concerns about Islam i.e. the religion as defined by its sacred texts. As with the Bible, the Islamic texts condone some attitudes that are contrary to modern British morals, condone some acts that are illegal in the UK, and even encourage some acts that are crimes in the UK. That encouragement comes in the form of specific commandments and as stories in which religious role models demonstrate behaviour.
9. As with the Bible, there are differences between what the sacred texts endorse and what followers actually believe and do.

January 2019