Amira Elghawaby’s letter published on June 6 in The duty is very well written and manages to make us experience the sadness and distress of ordinary people who are struggling with the violent reactions triggered by their declared religious convictions. One can only hope that these aggressive behaviors under the guise of militant action motivated by a phobia or a belief are ostracized from all societies.
The word “phobia” is in fashion. We no longer have fears, we have phobias. […] What distinguishes a phobia from a reasonable fear is its imaginary character; it is an apprehension that is not linked to an attested reality.
During the last decades, the extremist faction of the Muslim religion, often called Islamism, has perpetrated a very large number of violent acts […]. Is this violence motivated by a proven threat or is it a phobia? It is undeniable that certain countries which are under the control of Islamic theocracies are very far from what one could call societies tolerant of religious diversity and even of opinion. This fact convinces many to consider the Muslim religion as the Trojan horse of Islamist political extremism. This violence, condoned by many Muslim authorities, poses very little threat to contemporary Canadian society. However, it may well be the subject of a well-founded fear.
I am on the side of the tolerant. I believe that all religions have truths to offer. However, violence that is rooted in religious convictions is no more legitimate than any other. When the Muslim religion strongly condemns attacks by Muslims on non-Muslims, I believe its communities around the world will be viewed very differently.
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