4

Any Criticism Of Islam Is Hijacked By Hate Groups

"A few years ago, I wrote an open letter to Ben Affleck [after he appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher], politely explaining that not all criticism of Islam was simply 'racist,' and that there are some valuable conversations to be had. My letter was printed in full by Jihad Watch without my knowledge."

Jihad Watch is an Islamophobic rant rag whose owner has been called a hate group leader by both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Any time Eiynah posits that the Muslim community could be more progressive, she has to worry about her words being taken out of context and used as anti-Muslim ammunition.

The Affleck letter wasn't even the first time this happened. "Do you remember during the election, Shepard Fairey did the poster of the U.S. flag hijab woman?"

Shepard Fairey

3

Outside Notions Of What Islam "Should Look Like" Are Unhelpful And Damaging

Eiynah pointed out that if you Google the words "Muslim American Olympian," you'll get pages and pages of results about Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Muslim fencer who competed for America in Rio de Janeiro while wearing the hijab. You're far less likely to see any mention of Dalilah Muhammad, a Muslim woman who took home the gold in the 400m hurdles while wearing shorts and a sports bra.

Both women are incredible athletes, and could probably crush us both metaphorically and physically, but it's weird that only one is thought of as the "Muslim American Olympian." Especially since for a lot of Muslim women, the hijab brings back painful memories. "I've seen the Morality Police hit my mother with a cane because her headscarf slipped. It's like, would we feel as comfortable celebrating purity balls that are held in the South?"

Many Muslim women are proud to wear the hijab because it represents their faith, and many proud Muslim women hate the hijab for representing their oppression. To an outsider, it's way more complicated than simply picking "the right side." It's a Muslim issue, and yet non-Muslims still loudly argue which side is "more Muslim" than the other.

2

Hate Groups Have Made Themselves Very Attractive To Critics Of Islam

Imagine growing up in a strict, traditional, religious household. Around your 15th birthday, you get into punk rock and skateboarding and decide "Like, screw this jive scene, Daddy-O, I'm outta here!" Because that's how cool teenagers talk. If the family you're rebelling from is Muslim, the so-called "alt-right" is about the hardest rebellion you can manage.

1

Islam Is Frequently Reduced To A Political Talking Point

There are not two sides vying for the fate of Islam. You might assume that Eiynah agrees with folks like Reza Aslan, the Muslim theologian and star of several viral videos wherein he takes down ignorant news anchors. Well, you'd be wrong. "It's not just a disagreement I have [with him]," she tells us. "I consider him to be quite a fraud in the way he's marketed himself, and not a reliable source of info." She provided this article as an example of why a lot of his arguments are "wrong, or technically-correct-but-actually-wrong."

Ali Rizvi, an author Eiynah does agree with, says that overzealous defenses of Islam actually allow anti-Muslim bigotry to fester. A quote from him:

"It is more important now than ever to challenge and criticize the doctrine of Islam. And it is more important now than ever to protect and defend the rights of Muslims."

This is part of the reason Eiynah doesn't like the term "Islamophobia": "Allowing any criticism of Islamic fundamentalism, homophobia, etc. to be labeled as 'Islamophobia' gives right-wing fundamentalist Muslims a chance to shield their religion from valid criticism. It's essentially the same thing right-wing Christians [do]. Think of the absurdity of the 'War on Christmas' to get a feel for how 'Islamophobia' sounds to us. That's why I prefer the more precise term 'anti-Muslim bigotry.' The problem is not theological criticisms of Islam or criticisms of literalist interpretations -- it is the generalizations, hatred, and fearmongering around Muslims."

"Islam is not a monolith -- neither its adherents nor its critics," says Eiynah. "Just like Islam can be interpreted and practiced in a million different ways, so too can criticism of it come from different angles and politics. It's important to be aware of the general Trump-era anti-Muslim climate, but it's also important not to erase the secular, liberal, and/or progressive Muslims who exist."

So the solution is "Remember that the world is a very complicated place, resist generalizations, and advocate for change carefully"? That'll never fit on a crudely scrawled protest sign.

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