Really, the word "Islamophobia" is badly chosen if it's supposed to described the hatred which some lame-brains have for Muslims. And it is not only badly chosen, it is dangerous. From a purely etymological viewpoint, Islamophobia ought to mean "fear of Islam" – yet the inventors, promoters and users of this word deploy it to denounce hatred of Muslims. But isn't it odd that "Muslimophobia", or just "racism", isn't used instead of "Islamophobia".
Why has this word taken over? From ignorance, from idleness… but also because those who campaign against Islamophobia don't do so to defend Muslims as individuals. They do so to defend the religion of the prophet Mohamed.
Racism has been present in every country since the scapegoat was invented. There will probably always be racists. The answer is not to make police raids on the minds of our fellow citizens, searching for the least spark of racism. The answer is to stop racists from formulating their nauseating opinions publicly, from demanding the "right" to be racist, from expressing their hatred.
In France, racist language was set free by Sarkozy and his debate on national identity. When the most senior authority in the state speaks to the cretins and swine and says, "Let it all hang out, guys", what do you think the cretins and swine do? They start saying in public what previously they had only roared at the end of drunken family meals.
Racist language – which pressure groups, politicians and intellectuals had managed to corral in the space between the mouth of the
xenophobe and his kitchen door – has escaped into the street. It flows through the media and sullies the networks of social media.
So, yes, we are in the middle of an explosion of racist behaviour – yet the word "racism" is used
Stéphane Charbonnier, editor of Charlie Hebdo, finished writing a short book: Lettre aux escrocs de l'islamophobie qui font le jeu des racistes (Letter to the Islamophobia Frauds Who Play into the Hands of Racists) two days before he was murdered. Here is an extract translated by John Lichfield.
By Stéphane Charbonnier