Hear hear, Ben.

Having become active on Facebook and Twitter to promote my writing, I come into close contact with very disturbing attitudes that can only be described by a word like Islamophobia.

It’s an irrational hatred not toward the faith itself, but toward the people who practice it.

I’m also not a fan of organized religion, but I try to give credit where credit is due when people of faith reach out with hands of acceptance and friendship.

So maybe islamophobia isn’t the right word, but it is the word we have, and language does what it wants.

I know for sure that the sentiment that I see surrounding me, the condemnation of people, is antithetical to values of decency and tolerance.

I also know for sure that many of the attitudes are simply misinformed. Having lived in Detroit for years with its very substantial Muslim population, I have many Muslim friends, and I know that they do not fit the stereotypes being spouted by Islamophobes online and off.