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Islamophobia: Why are so many people so frightened?


Islamophobia has become a significant factor driving politics in many Western countries.




Given that this widespread Western fear of Muslims was not the case prior to the US-instigated "War on Terror", do Muslims around the world now pose a greater threat to western interests than previously? Or is something else going on here?

In short, why are so many Westerners (and others) now frightened of Muslims? Let me start at the beginning.

Human socialization is essentially a process of terrorising children into "thinking" and doing what the adults around them want (irrespective of the functionality of this thought and behaviour in evolutionary terms).

Hence, the attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours that most humans exhibit are driven by fear and the self-hatred that accompanies this fear. For a comprehensive explanation of this point, see "Why Violence?" and "Fearless Psychology and Fearful Psychology: Principles and Practice".

However, because this fear and self-hatred are so unpleasant to feel consciously, most people suppress these feelings below conscious awareness and then (unconsciously) project them onto "legitimised" victims (that is, those people ‘approved’ for victimisation by their parents and/or society generally).


This all happens because virtually all adults are (unconsciously) terrified and self-hating, so they unconsciously terrorise children into accepting the attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours that make the adults feel safe. A child who thinks and acts differently is frightening and is not allowed to flourish.




Historically, different social groups in different cultural contexts have been the victim of this projected but ‘socially approved’ fear and hatred. Women, indigenous peoples, Catholics, Afro-Americans, Jews, communists, Palestinians…The list goes on. The predominant group in this category, of course, is children (whose "uncontrollability" frightens virtually all parents until they are successfully terrorized and tamed).


For now, of course, Muslims are the primary target for this projected fear and self-hatred, which accounts for the US-led Western war on the Middle East. Islamophobia thus allows elites and others to project their fear and self-hatred onto Muslims so that elites can then seek to destroy this fear and self-hatred. Obviously, this cannot work.


In fact, as western elites now demonise Russia and encircle it with nuclear weapons and ABM defence systems, we simply witness another example of these elites projecting their fear and self-hatred.

If you are starting to wonder about the sanity of this, you can rest assured there is none. Elites are insane. If you want to read a fuller explanation of this point, see "The Global Elite is Insane".


In addition, if you are fearless enough to recognise that elites are manipulating you into fearing Muslims and others whom we do not need to fear, now would be a good time to speak up and to demonstrate your solidarity. You might also like to sign the online pledge of "The People’s Charter to Create a Nonviolent World".



-Roberto J. Burrowes has done extensive research on understanding human violence. He is the author of "Why Violence?". You can visit his blog here. He. This article is originally published by the Inter Press Service.


Photo: Protesters hold a banner reading 'No more mosque' during a demonstration by the UK branch of the German group 'Pegida' in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, Northern England on 28 February, 2015 (AFP).
