Anti-Zionism and Islamophobia

debrumas said:

Opposing the genocidal imperialism of the state of Israel on the Palestinian people is not the same as religious discrimination, and nor is it motivated by it. It's motivated by the acknowledgment of the fact that Palestinians are in fact people, and are just as deserving of the right to live without persecution as any other person on this planet.

Why is it I never hear leftists say

Anti-Islamism does not equal Anti-Muslim

Opposing the genocidal imperialism of some Islamic states and people on other religions (imprisoning people for carrying bibles, Egyptian and Pakistani people murdering Christians and burning down churches, jailing people for being Christian, teaching in schools that Jews are wicked and evil), women (being worth less in the judicial system, being imprisoned for being raped [under the pretext of “extramarital sex”] and being generally second class citizens in every way) and homosexuals (being stoned to death) is not the same as religious discrimination, and nor is it motivated by it. It’s motivated by the acknowledgement of the fact that non Muslims, women and homosexuals are in fact people, and are just as deserving of the right to live without persecution as any other person on this planet.

But leftists never say that, do they? Criticising militant Islam is not the same as hating Muslims on an individual basis, and yet it is thrown out as “Islamophobia” by progressive circles. Despite not understanding the fact that being anti Islamist doesn’t equal being anti Muslim they then expect us all to listen to the fact that being anti Zionist isn’t the same as anti Semitic.

And sure, I believe it doesn’t mean it (though there are some “anti Zionists” who are definitely anti Semitic), just as anti Islamist doesn’t mean anti Muslim (though there are some anti Islamists who are anti Muslim).

I’ll believe them, but maybe next time they should take this into account when branding any criticism of Islam as being anti Muslim or “Islamophobic”.