Anybody who’s heard of a far-right anti-immigration party or listened to a speech by Sam Harris will be aware that Islam gets a lot of criticism for its apparently inherent terrorist qualities. While the specifics of these Islamophobic arguments vary wildly, as do the motivations of the speaker for saying them, the broadly shared notion is that Islam is disproportionately responsible for terrorist atrocities around the globe. Chances are (these individuals and groups claim) if you hear about a terror attack, in all likelihood it was either justified by Islam or committed by a Muslim.
Of course, very few claim that all Muslims are potential terrorists, but the general point is that Islam is incompatible or hostile to the ‘Western’ way of life, as proven by terror attacks. They don’t like our morals, they can’t integrate into our culture, and they have a propensity to express their discontent though violence. Some even go as far to call Muslims uncivilized, then quickly insist there’s no racial element to their statements.
A gross mischaracterization of 1.6 billion people by any standards, but it’s increasingly become a talking point among intellectuals on both sides of the political spectrum.
Angry Meditations 