Giving Muslim Extremists a Pass Is Reflected in Canada’s New Guide to ‘Islamophobia’

A growing danger among Western liberals is the failure to distinguish between the radical Islamist minority and the majority of Muslims. Feature the Canadian government’s new “Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia.”

The guide’s imprecise definition of “Islamophobia” blurs the line between genuine anti-Muslim discrimination and valid criticism of political Islamism. By failing to make this distinction, the guide shields extremist agendas from scrutiny and empowers those who seek to silence moderate Muslim voices.

The term “Islamophobia” did not come into use until the 1990s. Critics contend that Islamist groups, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies, played a significant role in promoting it. Organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation actively pushed this term in politics and the press, often using it to silence discussions and prevent criticism of Islamist ideology.

French author Pascal Bruckner and Algerian scholar Boualem Sansal argue that Islamists have used the term to shut down debates on issues like jihadism, Sharia law, and human rights abuses in Muslim-majority countries. Historian Bernard Lewis noted that instead of addressing real anti-Muslim discrimination, the term has often been used to suppress criticism of Islamism and its growing influence.

Rather than addressing concerns through open discussion, they use the term to brand their critics as bigots. This is particularly dangerous because it silences moderate Muslims, reformers, and secular voices who fear being attacked or ostracized.

Would, say, calling groups like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps “terrorist organizations” be considered Islamophobic? Would condemning violent attacks, such as suicide bombings or stabbings by extremists, be seen as anti-Muslim hate? If someone speaks out against the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in North America, would they be labeled an Islamophobe?

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