Is the word "Islamists" a slur?

[DesEtoiles]

[CarbonDate]

1. Yes....

...but it's actually intended to distinguish between garden variety Muslims and the violent extremists. So it's a slur toward violent extremists.

[sweetheart]

2. I guess it depends how you say it.

A muslim is a slave to Allah, and probably has no opinion, leaving such
matters to Allah. So, it would have to be the opinions of ignorance,
and what of them?

[MADem]

3. Well, if you're going after the MEANING of the word, it isn't

Islam comes from salaam (peace) and signifies submission to the will of God.

But the way it is said (like any word) makes all the difference. The users generally aren't calling the people they tag with the ID 'peaceniks' or religious types.

Heck, LIBERAL is a great word, unfortunately some shitheads like to toss it around like a bomb.

[ashling]

4. Well I say that

Jerry F, Pat R., James D., and their looney followers are "Christianists."

[kiahzero]

6. No, they're Dominionists.

I'd say that "Islamist" isn't a slur, in the same sense that "Islamic Fundamentalist", "Christian Fundamentalist" or "Dominionist" isn't a slur. They're terms coined to refer to the unsavory aspects of the respective religions.

[valerief]

5. I guess if you say when you're drunk it can get slurred to be

Ishlamishtsh.

[maseman]

7. I suppose no difference then me calling Christians

Jesus Christers.

[TahitiNut]

8. I personally prefer the term "Secular Religionists"

Really, it has very little to do with faith or religion. It's really not sectarian. It has to do with tapping into the "Dark Side" of a culture and resurrecting historical bigotries and hatreds and using such superstitious fear to stampede the populist cattle. The only major world religion seemingly somewhat free of such fear-mongering is Buddhism - and even they have their secular extremists.

The problem is ages-old ... culture corrupting religion vs. religion improving culture. It's why many Roman Catholic nuns wear habits, which are nothing but a holdover of a common style of dress in the distant past. Originally meant to not stand out and be ordinary and modest, they are now anything but unnoticeable. It's why people associate hibabs and burkas with Islam, when all that Islam advises is modesty - for both men and women. It's why so many "Southern Baptist" churches strove to proof-text and contort the Bible to legitimize segregation. It was culture corrupting the religion.

We have cultural and secular conflicts (based mostly on greed and predation) ... and religion is employed corruptly to heighten the emotions and transcend reason.