Religiophobia

'Islamophobia Watch – and the dense chunk of the hard left that adopts a similar approach – is trying to redefine consistent atheism as a form of racism. I believe that the idea of God has been a disaster for humanity, and any person who bases their morality on the writings of hallucinating pre-modern nomads is going to have pretty warped values. Islam is no worse than the absurdities of Christianity and Judaism, but it is no better. [...]

'Like all people who cry wolf, those who cry Islamophobia are aiding and abetting the real wolves out there. There is an authentic Islamophobia howling in the background. It is the notion that Islam is a uniquely evil religion, more inherently war-like and fanatical than Christianity or Judaism or the other primitive delusions. These bona fide Islamophobes do not have a principled disagreement with superstition and human rights abuses, as Tatchell does. They have a raw prejudice against Muslims, often because they see them as foreign and all secretly sympathetic to the al Quaeda [sic] psychosis.'

- the Independent's Johann Hari (via).

Continuing the broad theme of the last posting. This is very much par for the course in the liberal media these days, and especially the Indie. Johann hates all religions equally, and that's progressive and fine and dandy. But dare to suggest that you believe one religion is in some way better or worse than others and you're a reactionary bigot. Which of course means that, by Johann's logic, all devout Muslims are Christophobes, Judaeophobes, Buddhophobes and Anything-else-you-like-ophobes. And since moderate Muslims are not stupid and are quite capable of perceiving that Johann can't conceal his contempt for their faith, this not doing a lot to encourage them to make common cause with him on gay rights.

Liberals 0, Fundamentalists 1 (J. Hari, o. g.)