Persuasive Words: Framing Islamophobia

Phobias and isms... they come in all shapes and sizes. There's racism, sexism, classism, sizeism, anti-Semitism, anti-intellectualism... All of these represent a belief of superiority of one race, gender, class, size, or religion over another or a hatred of one against another.

Phobias are defined as 'irrational fears'.

Now we've got a new(ish) term: Islamophobia. The term has been around for a while but not until 9/11 did it begin to come into the collective cultural consciousness.

Is a fear of believers in Islam rational or irrational? Most likely irrational. Is it really just another form of racism? Most likely.

The world is framed through words. All of our meaning, aside from say art, non-verbal performace or music, is expressed through language.

The term 'homophobia' is used to describe 'an irrational fear of homosexuals'. And maybe a few people are afraid of homosexuals or being perceived as a homosexual, but the term should really be 'heterosexism' because more accurately than fear, there is an implied superiority of heterosexuality over homosexuality.

Here's an article that I found interesting on the debate of the term Islamophobia:

http://townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2007/07/31/why_islamophobia_is_a_brilliant_term

Whatever you think of the existence or non-existence of 'Islamophobia', it is always educational to see how the terms that are used in the media, in our lives, are constantly framing what we see around us.

It's all semantics. . . and the expression of words has huge power. Words can irritate, incite, and enrage, or they can soothe, placate, and calm. When used with precision, words set the frame for your listener to accept what you are saying lowering resistance and lessening objections with your affluent prospects.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of affluent prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated