March 15, 2026
The term “Islamophobia” is a strategic tool used to shut down criticism of Islamic political ideology by conflating it with racism and hate speech. Therefore, people should combat the term on what may be seen as the most fitting day: 15 March, which the UN has established as the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.”
Why “Phobia” Is an Inaccurate Term
The word "phobia" originates in psychiatry and denotes an irrational, clinically diagnosable fear. To apply it to political or doctrinal critique is intellectually dishonest. Concern over the political and legal teachings of Islam—based on textual sources and historical precedent—is not irrational but grounded in reality. Labelling such concern as a mental defect serves to discredit the critic rather than address the argument. It also collapses the distinction between violent bigotry and informed analysis.
The Origins and Strategic Deployment of the Term
"Islamophobia" entered non-Islamic informational space prominently in the 1990s, particularly with the Runnymede Trust’s report [1] that portrayed criticism of Islam as inherently prejudiced. The term has been heavily promoted [2] by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, the united voice of 57 Islamic countries), led by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran, which has aimed to criminalize what it calls "defamation of religion" on a global scale. The term has been adopted by the United Nations [3], the European Union [4], and numerous countries and NGOs, effectively embedding it in institutional frameworks that discourage criticism of Islamic doctrine.
[1] Runnymede Trust. 1997. “Islamophobia: A Challenge For Us All.”
[2] OIC 2005, 2008, 2010, 2025
[3] United Nations General Assembly. 2022. “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.”
[4] European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia. Summary Report on Islamophobia in the EU After 11 September 2001
Criticism of an Ideology Is Not Bigotry
Islam is not a race; it is a belief system and a political doctrine. Criticizing it is no more racist than critiquing any other known political ideology. Many of the most forceful critics of Islam are ex-Muslims. The term "Islamophobia" is a deliberate conflation of ideological critique with racial prejudice, designed to suppress free inquiry.
Furthermore, the labelling of people as “Islamophobic” is typically used to infer something akin to racism, meaning they are against a certain group of people. Being critical of a doctrine, however, should not be conflated with discriminating against people. Similarly, pointing out that Islamic doctrine contains an ideology that motivates people to behave a certain way is a reasonable statement of cause and effect, not a prejudiced belief [...]
📘 ➡ Read the full report on Islamophobia
📰 ➡ Read our analytical articles on Islamophobia