Just to beat my head against a wall one more time, yes, bigotry against Islam is racism. [View all]

[jobycom]

Or bigotry against Jews, or any other group where a religion and culture and ethnic identity are closely intertwined.

Oxford English dictionary:

Race: 1.1A group of people sharing the same culture, history, language, etc.; an ethnic group:

From Wikipedia:

Under "Racism:"

"According to the United Nations convention, there is no distinction between the terms racial discrimination and ethnic discrimination... [10]"

"Cultural racism exists when there is a widespread acceptance of stereotypes concerning different ethnic or population groups.[56] Where racism can be characterised by the belief that one race is inherently superior to another, cultural racism can be characterised by the belief that one culture is inherently superior to another.[57]"

Under "Islamophobia:"

"Several scholars consider Islamophobia as a form of racism.[35] A 2007 article in Journal of Sociology defines Islamophobia as anti-Muslim racism and a continuation of anti-Asian and anti-Arab racism.[36] Similarly, John Denham has drawn parallels between modern Islamophobia and the antisemitism of the 1930s,[37] so have Maud Olofsson,[38] and Jan Hjärpe, among others."

"The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) defines Islamophobia as the fear of or prejudiced viewpoint towards Islam, Muslims and matters pertaining to them (ECRI 2006). Whether it takes the shape of daily forms of racism and discrimination or more violent forms, Islamophobia is a violation of human rights and a threat to social cohesion".[4] It has also been defined as "fear of Muslims and Islam; rejection of the Muslim religion; or a form of differentialist racism" (Helbling 2011)."

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Etcetera. Basically, "race" has always been about drawing distinctions. It has been based on language, nationality, skin color, ethnic heritage, and other such large vertical groupings. And while Islam is ALSO a religion, it is not just a religion, any more than Judaism is only a religion. It is also a cultural and ethnic identity.

So, saying "I don't agree with Islam because I don't believe in a god who created the world" is not racist, nor Islamophobic. But saying "Muslims follow a violent, sexist (insert insult) religion" is racist, because it attacks all Muslims by implying they are united in a single negative mindset, and makes unsupportable generalizations about them based on their common grouping. It may not fit the 20th century pseudo-scientific definition we have heard most often in this country, where the predominant type of racism was based on skin color, but it still fits the term. And it's horrific.

I'm an atheist. I disbelieve all religions equally (which actually doesn't mean completely, but that's a different discussion). But I'm a liberal. I love and relish all people in all of their various personalities, intelligences, beauties, and beliefs. And when I learn that 2 billion people see the world differently than I do, I don't think "How can they be so wrong?" I think, "What am I missing about what they are saying?" It makes the world a lot more fun and a lot less hateful for me.

Just my thoughts. Flame (or not) away.