This imbroglio is a vivid illustration of how the term “Islamophobia” is used to intimidate and silence everyone who might suggest the shadow of a hint of a negative statement about any aspect of Islam.
“Catholic politician rejects ‘false accusations’ in European Islamophobia report,” CNA, January 21, 2022 (thanks to Tom)
A Catholic politician has objected to her inclusion in a report on Islamophobia in Europe, saying that it is based on “false accusations.”
Marijana Petir, a member of the Croatian parliament, said that the reference to her and others in the European Islamophobia Report 2020, published on Dec. 29, 2021, amounted to an “attack on freedom of speech.”
The 886-page study, which defines Islamophobia as “anti-Muslim racism,” cited Petir, a former member of the European Parliament, in a section entitled “Islamophobia in Croatia National Report 2020,” one of 31 country reports.
It said: “The politician and independent parliament member Marijana Petir, known for her statement from 2015 saying that Christians were persecuted by Muslims in wars and that the current ‘refugee crisis’ was in fact an attempt by Muslims to occupy predominantly Catholic European countries including Croatia, suggested a proposal worth 1.5 million HRK in the form of aid to Christians prosecuted for their faith in countries where Islamist militants are in power. The government accepted the proposal.”
A footnote cited an article referring to a speech she gave in 2015, published in the Croatian weekly news magazine Nacional on Nov. 25, 2020.
Petir told CNA on Jan. 21 that the description of her 2015 speech, in both the report and the article, was inaccurate.
“The report on Islamophobia in Europe for 2020 contains my statement from 2015, which I never said, so we can consider that this report is based on false accusations,” she said.
She explained that she spoke in 2015 at an event dedicated to war reporters.
“Referring to the migrant crisis that has spread, I expressed my full understanding and sympathy with those fleeing the war, and said that people whose lives are at risk should be unreservedly helped,” she recalled.
“On the other hand, there are those who are looking for a better future and that is why they are going to Europe, but unfortunately Croatia cannot provide jobs for its citizens, so when we talk about migration, we should distinguish between war and economic migrants.”
“Europe, which is the largest donor of humanitarian and development aid, should direct this money to projects in third countries that will enable people to work and enable them to live in dignity at home.”
She continued: “I said that Europe needs to think about its future and demographic renewal, because some countries already do not have enough workers and this problem cannot be solved by illegal migration.”
“European asylum and migration policy has failed the test and needs to be revised as illegal migration can be a potential security problem for citizens.”
“In addition, Europe and the entire Western world have done nothing to stop the war in Syria and Iraq, where Islamist terrorists are killing Christians, which could lead to the disappearance of Christianity from the cradle of Christianity. Only a few journalists talk about it.”…
Petir, an independent member of parliament, was instrumental in persuading the Croatian government to offer college scholarships to young people from countries where Christians face persecution.
The introduction of the scholarships marked the first time since the country gained independence in 1991 that it had earmarked money specifically to help individuals outside the European Union persecuted for their Christian faith.
Petir said it was unclear how giving scholarships to persecuted Christians could be characterized as Islamophobia.
“We do not give scholarships to Christians just because they are Christians, but because they are the most persecuted religious group in the world, and this is confirmed by reports of international organizations such as Aid to Church in Need and Open Doors,” she said….
born saturday says
ofcourse it just takes being christian to be labeled islamophobic, just as much as it takes being white to be labeled a racist…
this is the extent at which the sharia imposition has reached…. in predominantly muslim countries they accuse you of blaspheme to procecuted you, in europe they brand you racist islamophobic fascist and even nazi when it is them using the most nazistic methods…it can be for personal reasons, to the reason they branded this woman of the article, merely for being christian to christians…..
gravenimage says
Croatia: Politician accused of ‘Islamophobia’ for giving scholarships to persecuted Christians
…………..
Grotesque false accusation.
Doomer says
” The 886-page study, which defines Islamophobia as “anti-Muslim racism,” “, no doubt the run of the mill Leftists ( at least 70% of those 18 to 30 )
believe that definition as being rational. Though Islam is Not a Race.
Redpill:”Knowledge is Power”
Leftists hate the PILGRIMS ,who were members of a group called the PURITANS, a CALVINIST group.
a. Calvinists ( I don’t know why) believe in a doctrine called PREDESTINATION: that God decides who goes to hell, you can’t change it, no free will.
b. From 1620-1641: 20,000 Puritans emigrated to North America,to Massachusetts. And the number of Indians there was 40,000.
It is true they were too rigid at times, even later killing a few witches,but the case of JOHN ELIOT (1609-1690 ) shows from the BEGINNING, the English experiment was NOT one of BLOOD and FIRE.
c. Maybe Eliot had read Thomas More’s Utopia ( 1516 ) or maybe he was aware of the JESUIT missions but he saw spreading Christianity among the natives was the best way to have peace.
1. He translated the BIBLE into two Indian languages, and had it printed, around 1,000 copies. Plus other Christian material in their language, plus a GRAMMAR of the Indian language, to teach future missionaries.
2. He learned the local Indian language to preach to the 20,000 natives.
3. He established a SCHOOL for Indians to teach them to read and write, and the best of Western civilization.
4. By 1675 he had established 14 towns of “Praying Indians” ( Christians): 4,000 people or 20% of Indians in Massachusetts .
Doomer says
That is why all-out condemnation of Europe or the West is crazy, though all have a common Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage,
each country has had a different history. While 40,000 witches were killed by Scotland,England, France, Switzerland and Germany from 1570-1640,
in ITALY and PORTUGAL and SPAIN, the records show VERY FEW there were killed by the Roman, Portuguese and Spanish Inquisitions because of witchcraft in ALL their HUNDREDS of years of existence.
a. Even the MOTHER of KEPLER ( 1571-1630), the great German scientist, was put on trial,accused of being a witch ( she survived ).
He is best known for his laws of planetary motion.
b. Most of the 40,000 witches ( 25% were men ) were condemned to death by SECULAR courts. Of the women, most were elderly women, and most had been accused by OTHER women.
c. There 50% of those accused were condemned to death: in the Spanish Inquisition it was 2%.
d. There if you CONFESSED under TORTURE to being a witch,it was PROOF you were guilty. Never in the Spanish Inquisition.
e. Virtually from the beginning the Spanish Inquisition was very reluctant to accept killing people for witchcraft. In 1526 in Granada there was a famous meeting of the Spanish Inquisition were it was agreed witchcraft was real BUT almost never true.
f. In 1610,in FRANCE, in a region just NEXT to the Spanish border in the Pyrenees, 80 were KILLED as witches. That sent terror in the Spanish region of Navarre.
SALAZAR FRIAS,an inquisitor, was sent to investigate, in 1614. To his amazement:
1,800 confessed to him that they were witches,of which 1,400 were CHILDREN 9 to 14.
He wrote a report saying witchcraft accusations were not to be taken seriously, that EVEN IF the person said she was a witch, it was to be rejected,it was a Mental Illness.
The Spanish Inquisition in 300 years condemned 45 as witches ( of which about 15 were condemned to death,not all ).
mortimer says
Any truth about Islam that Muslims don’t want mentioned or any communication that reveals the embarrassing facts about Islamic teachings are ‘Islamophobic’. Why?
Because Muslims don’t want the contemptible, confusing and immoral nature of Islam’s teachings to be exposed to the public. Mullahs also don’t want ordinary Muslims to come to conclusion that they are actually in a Death Cult, for many of them would abandon Islam.
If you reveal the truth about Islam, you are declared to be an ‘Islamophobe’. That is precisely known as GASLIGHTING … calling an accuser ‘INSANE’ to distract people so they do not see the accusations are true.
gravenimage says
Pious Muslims don’t want the nature of Islam to be exposed to Infidels until it is *too late*.
mortimer says
Agree with GI’s observation; namely, that Islamic TAQIYYA works like a MOUSETRAP or as a TROJAN HORSE.
The ‘Islamophobia’ smear campaign is a TROJAN HORSE for discriminatory Sharia blasphemy law. Sharia blasphemy law affords MULLAHS the right to censor EVERY COMMUNICATION regarding Islam … whether true or false.
The ultimate purpose of the ‘Islamophobia’ smear campaign is to establish Islam as the leading religion, and thereafter, the established faith.
James Lincoln says
mortimer says,
“…Islamic TAQIYYA works like a MOUSETRAP or as a TROJAN HORSE.”
Perfectly stated, my compliments.
mortimer says
Partial agreement with Robert Spencer’s comment: “the term “Islamophobia” is used to intimidate and silence everyone who might suggest the shadow of a hint of a negative statement about any aspect of Islam.”
In fact, a statement about Islam need not be ‘negative’ … even a true statement about Islam might be called ‘Islamophobic’ as well.
Sharia law doesn’t allow KAFIRS to speak about Islam … period.
Rufolino says
Reminds me of something that happened to me recently in Italy.
In the gym changing room I asked a guy who works in a local jail if many of the inmates were Moslem.
There was a sudden silence and everyone looked towards a guy who, I realised, was Moslem. Nobody said a word.
I felt as if I reeked of “Islamophobia”.
Suppose that marks me down for extinction when sharia rules.
mortimer says
And now, shall we put the shoe on the other foot! What do you think if Muslims wanted a scholarship for persecuted Muslim students?
I think you know the answer: the persecuted Muslim would be ‘approved’ victims.
– K. 28:86 says: “Lend not thou support in any way to those who reject Allah’s Message.”
Christians persecuted by Muslims are not ‘approved’ under Sharia law censorship rules.
When KAFIRS are persecuted by Muslims, it is what Allah wants and so, to help the persecuted Christians is blasphemous!
Koran 28:86 says that Muslims should never support kafirs ‘IN ANY WAY’. The kafirs deserve to be persecuted according to the Koran and Sharia law.
abu taleb says
Actually, it is the muslims who are “Christianophobia” because they are afraid to see crosses (including shapes that may look like crosses, or not!), they are afraid when churches give donations to muslims, they are afraid if Christians are gathering together to worship in the “muslim” area (I put in quotes because sometimes the majority of people in the area is not muslims). And there are more examples of what muslims are afraid of which will give them jusification to attack the Christians (and other non muslims)
OLD GUY says
Well of course if it doesn’t support muslims or tells the TRUTH about islam it has to be islamophobia. Islam recognizes nothing or allows nothing that islam is not in control of. Smells like a DICTATORSHIP!!