Tarek Fatah: 'Anti-Islamophobia' motion taking more fire

A professor of linguistics at the University of Ottawa, commenting on the so-called anti-Islamophobia motion, M103, has urged the Trudeau government “to start an international Commission on how to handle the violence in the Qur’an,” which, he says exists, without doubt.

Professor Karim Achab gave his presentation on Nov. 8 to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage regarding the motion on systematic racism and religious discrimination, which focuses on “Islamophobia.”

Using a PowerPoint presentation, Achab, who is of North African Amazigh (Berber) ancestry in Algeria, said “Islamophobia” is an inappropriate, unjustifiable word.

He then focused on the definition of “Islamophobia” offered by many Islamist activists: “The irrational fear or hatred of Muslims that leads to discrimination or actual acts of harassment or violence.”

Achab suggested the word was an example of “academic lexical creation” and, even though people have the right to create such words, they should have no place in parliament or law.

Dissecting “Islamophobia,” the linguistics professor told MPs, “phobia (is) a medical term referring to one type of mental disorder.” And yet, he noted, no one speaks of Coptophobia, even though, “Copts are slaughtered daily in Egypt.”

Alluding to anti-black racism and the genocide of the Yazidis by Islamic State, the professor asked why there were no words for “Blackophobia” or “Yazidiphobia”? 

If the clarity and explicit language of Achab gave the Liberal MPs and their NDP wingmen heartburn, what was to follow left them gasping for a politically correct response...