Surprisingly, the Berlin Center for Research on Antisemitism adopted the neologism “Islamophobia” without any reservation and put anti-Muslim sentiments and antisemitism in the same category. Today, the Center is presenting its new findings at a conference in Berlin titled “Concepts of the Muslim Enemy – Concepts of the Jewish Enemy”. My critical assessment of this event is published in today’s Wall Street Journal.
It is certainly necessary to oppose the demonization of Muslims and discrimination against them, which often have racist motivations. The Berlin center, whose research covers prejudices in general, is right to address this issue. The problem lies in the way it is being done. The Berlin center adopts the neologism “Islamophobia” without any reservation. This term is misleading because it mixes two different phenomena—unjust hatred against Muslims and necessary criticism of political Islam—and condemns both equally. By accepting this vocabulary, the Berlin center reinforces an unfortunate trend. In May 2005, the Council of Europe—at the urging of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan—used the term for the first time, condemning “all forms of intolerance . . . including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122869182286886467.html
