Atheist writer Sam Harris makes a sweeping indictment against hundreds of millions of human beings by claiming in his book, Letter to a Christian Nation, “most Muslims are utterly deranged by their religious faith.”
As an atheist queer, I’m not fond of Islamic fundamentalism, but the idea that Islam is an especially violent religion is absurd, when we consider the history of Christendom as it pertains to the genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of Africans, and the violence of colonialism and neo-colonialism, the latter occurring this very moment.
‘Islamophobia’, for lack of a better term, is a form of sloppy thinking with which to gloss over the geopolitical motivations of those engaged in asymmetrical warfare. Islamic fundamentalism is a reaction against Western imperialism, and a reaction against modernity which some non-Westerners mistakenly assume is necessarily a feature of Western culture.
I am for killing those intent on bombing our airports or otherwise attacking people in the US and in other parts of the world. But I’m not for a national narrative here in the US that is grossly out of touch with historical and other realities.
It might be far-fetched to claim that the CIA is behind the atrocities of ISIS. I won’t claim that, but I suggest that Islamophobic fear-mongering could further undermine our political freedom in the US in the name of national security, public safety, or the ‘war on terror.’
As for fellow atheist Sam Harris, he makes many good points in support of secular morality. But his statements regarding Islam are disappointing. Maybe secularism would gain wider currency if its proponents emphasized compassion as much as they’ve emphasized free thought.
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