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Islamophobia (the phobia of Islam)

الإسلاموفوبيا (الرهاب من الإسلام)

Tareq al-Suwaidan's 'Al-Wasatiyya' programme's discussion of the Western fear or wariness of Islam. The episode's audience split 51% seeing a real widespread phenomenon and 49% a limited media-inflated one. 1 On its greatest cause, 55% chose 'Jewish fingers', 25% the conduct of some Muslims, 20% historical inheritance — a result that surprised the host himself. 2 Panelists distinguished between phobia as a clinical term absent from medical dictionaries and the political-media phenomenon. 3

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Contemporary Era
Region
al-Andalus & Europe · Americas & Oceania · Global / Diaspora
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Images of Islam

A hard questionTradition and modernity

The tension:

Other

محدودة ومضخَّمة إعلامياً: رأى عادل درويش أن الظاهرة ليست منتشرة بين الشعوب بل ردّة فعل على تصرفات بعض المسلمين، وأن الحكومات والمفكرين الغربيين أعدل — بل وقّع مثقفون بينهم يهود بيانات ضدها. {cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:10:30}{cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:13:00} ورأى عريب الرنتاوي أنها «صناعة» تقوم بها مراكز قوى ونخب سياسية لأجندات صراع، تصاعدت بعد الحرب الباردة. {cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:21:30}{cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:23:30}

Other

حقيقية متنامية: رأى الباحث أنها مرض فكري وثقافي وتاريخي متنامٍ، يشيطن المسلم ويجرّده من إنسانيته كما فعلت لجنة ما بعد الحملة الصليبية الأولى؛ وشهد بتجربته اليومية في مستشفى بريطاني. {cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:25:30}{cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:28:00}

Other

الرفض أصلاً: رفض عزام التميمي المصطلح كلياً: «أسوأ ما حصل للمسلمين في الغرب ظهور هذا المصطلح» — لم يفسر الظاهرة بل زاد نقمة المخاصمين؛ الخوف من الآخر المجهول طبيعي لكنه ليس «رهاباً». {cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:15:30}{cite:assabile-tareq-al-suwaidan al-wassitiya/ep01 00:16:00}

The museum does not resolve this tension.

The 'Al-Wasatiyya' episode — debating the phenomenon and the term

Tareq al-Suwaidan devoted the first episode of his panel programme 'Al-Wasatiyya' to the question: is the West's fear of Islam a real widespread phenomenon or an inflated phantom? 4 The audience vote split 51% real versus 49% limited and media-inflated 1. Adel Darwish distinguished the clinical 'phobia' — absent, he reported, from British and American medical dictionaries — from the press-political phenomenon, noting the Runnymede Trust coined the term in the context of racism and cultural pluralism 3 5 6 7 8.

On its spread — three positions

Darwish held it is not widespread: publics are more susceptible than governments which understand the equation, and Western intellectuals — including Jews — signed statements against it, likening it to antisemitism 9 10 11. Oraib al-Rantawi called it a 'manufacture' inflated by power centres and elites for conflict agendas, rising after the Cold War when political Islam ceased to be an implicit ally against communism 12 13 14 15. A physician-researcher called it a growing sickness that demonises the Muslim and strips his humanity — citing the post-First-Crusade committee's description 'an odious and evil people, fit only for extermination', NATO secretary-general Werner's naming Islam the next enemy, and his daily experience of trainees posting Abu Hamza al-Masri's image in a British hospital as 'Islam' 16 17 18 19 20 21.

On its causes — the vote's surprise

The audience result surprised the host: 55% judged 'Jewish fingers' the greatest cause, 25% the conduct of some Muslims, 20% the historical legacy 2 22. Emad Hussein separated old hatred (the historical stock) from a fear that resurfaced as Ottoman armies approached central Europe and with the Islamic awakening; he cited a conference finding every Western curriculum maligning Islam 23 24 25 26. Ali al-Sawa argued Islam's comprehensive theory of life naturally collides with other ideologies, drawing shock and counter-propaganda, while irresponsible acts by some Muslims 'fuel' rather than originate it 27 28 29 30. Nur Issa traced an old defamation in English literature — over 1200 years in fiction and poetry — depicting the Muslim as a sword-bearing sensualist 31 32 33 34.

The media — and Arab media

The host cited American statistics: only 2% know what Islam is, 10% believe Muslims worship the moon, and 25% that Islam teaches violence 35 36. The audience judged Arab media 'noticeably improving' by 57% against 43% seeing it still weak — a shift the host noted would have differed ten years earlier 37 38.

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Sources

  1. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  2. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:32:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  3. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  4. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:01:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:08:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:09:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:10:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  9. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  10. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  11. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:13:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  12. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:21:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  13. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:22:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  14. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:23:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  15. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:24:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  16. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:25:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  17. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:26:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  18. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:26:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  19. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:27:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  20. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:28:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  21. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:29:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  22. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:32:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  23. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:36:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  24. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:36:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  25. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:37:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  26. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:37:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  27. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:40:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  28. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:41:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  29. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:41:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  30. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:42:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  31. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:42:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  32. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:43:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  33. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:44:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  34. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:44:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  35. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:46:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  36. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:46:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  37. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:49:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  38. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 1, at 00:50:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Islamophobia (the phobia of Islam)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/islamufubiya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-26.

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