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An Imaginary Racism: Islamophobia and Guilt
'Islamophobia' is a term that has existed since the nineteenth century. But in recent decades, argues Pascal Bruckner in his controversial new book, it has become a weapon used to silence criticism of Islam. The term allows those who brandish it in the name of Islam to 'freeze' the latter, making reform difficult. Whereas Christianity and Judaism have been rejuvenated over the centuries by external criticism, Islam has been shielded from critical examination and has remained impervious to change. This tendency is exacerbated by the hypocrisy of those Western defenders of Islam who, in the name of the principles of the Enlightenment, seek to muzzle its critics while at the same time demanding the right to chastise and criticize other religions. These developments, argues Bruckner, are counter-productive for Western democracies as they struggle with the twin challenges of immigration and terrorism. The return of religion in those democracies must not be equated with the defence of fanaticism, and the right to religious freedom must go hand in hand with freedom of expression, an openness to criticism, and a rejection of all forms of extremism.
There are already more than enough forms of racism; there is no need to imagine more. While all violence directed against Muslims is to be strongly condemned and punished, defining these acts as 'Islamophobic' rather than criminal does more to damage Islam and weaken the position of Muslims than to strengthen them.
There are already more than enough forms of racism; there is no need to imagine more. While all violence directed against Muslims is to be strongly condemned and punished, defining these acts as 'Islamophobic' rather than criminal does more to damage Islam and weaken the position of Muslims than to strengthen them.
204 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2017
16 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Pascal Bruckner
112 books465 followersPascal Bruckner est un romancier et essayiste français, d'origine suisse protestante, né à Paris le 15 décembre 1948. Après des études au Lycée Henri IV à Paris, à l'université de Paris I et de Paris VII, et à l'Ecole pratique des hautes études, Pascal Bruckner devient professeur invité à l'Université d'Etat de San Diego en Californie et à la New York University de 1986 à 1995. Maître de conférences à l'Institut d'études politiques de Paris de 1990 à 1994, il collabore également au Monde et au Nouvel Observateur. Romancier prolifique, on lui doit Lunes de fiel - adapté à l'écran par Roman Polanski - Les Voleurs de beauté - prix Renaudot en 1997 - et plus récemment L'Amour du prochain (2005).
Pascal Bruckner is a French writer, one of the "New Philosophers" who came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of his work has been devoted to critiques of French society and culture. He is the author of many books including The Tyranny of Guilt, Perpetual Euphoria and The Paradox of Love. He writes regularly for Le Nouvel Observateur.
Pascal Bruckner is a French writer, one of the "New Philosophers" who came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of his work has been devoted to critiques of French society and culture. He is the author of many books including The Tyranny of Guilt, Perpetual Euphoria and The Paradox of Love. He writes regularly for Le Nouvel Observateur.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 21, 2018
This short book constitutes one of the more entertainingly condescending anti-Islam polemics. In the style of Paul Berman’s Terror and Liberalism, this is a “muscular liberalism” critique of both leftism and contemporary Islam. Like Berman, what Bruckner lacks in factual rigor or firsthand knowledge of his subject he makes up for (sort of) with dynamic writing, insults and some questionable literary citations. The end result is a thesis that is fatally undermined by its blind spots, though it makes an effort.
Bruckner is right that there is lots to criticize in the Muslim world, most prominently its inferior level of tolerance when compared with the West. He is also right that “Islam” is not a race per se, or at least not only that, although it is being racialized by both those who want to attack and defend it at present. He mercilessly satirizes both the left and Islamists, whom he depicts as being in some kind of mutually duplicitous alliance. This is an uncharitable description and rings mostly false in reality (maybe people really believe the things they say and are not engaged in false consciousness?), but he writes it in an amusing way.
My issue with his basic critique is twofold. First, he is unable to understand that other people may have different ideas of what constitutes the good, outside of his French preoccupation with laicite. He is a liberal totalitarian in the sense that he is only willing to tolerate a superficial diversity, while blindly praising his own open-mindedness. Secondly he has a complete blind spot when it comes to foreign policy, perhaps willfully. As far as he’s concerned the existence of Western-fomented wars in which literally millions have now been killed is totally irrelevant to the glorious cosmic battle between liberalism and its enemies going on in his head. He depicts any opposition to contemporary Zionism as the Real Racism, which makes Palestinians racists by their mere existence I suppose.
As one prime example of his head-in-the-clouds analysis, Bruckner has the bright idea of getting a Sunni Muslim institution like al Azhar to issue a mea culpa for the bad acts that accompanied earlier historical periods of the religion, such as the Catholic Church did a few decades ago. Upon closer examination it’s unclear to whom this apology should be directed however. Everyone who is Muslim today is Muslim as a result of the initial Arab conquests but since the conquerors were wise enough to expand the universality of their community, it gradually led to the conquered seeing themselves as authentically Muslim as well. Should the Quraish tribe of the Prophet Muhammad apologize to the rest of the world? This is the absurd implication of this proposal.
A huge part of the reason for Islam’s present backwardness is the fact that important institutions like al Azhar lack independence because they have been turned into satraps of dictators like Abdelfattah Sisi, whom Bruckner quotes approvingly and who retains power as part of a longstanding partnership between the Egyptian military and the West. Bruckner seems to be unaware of this or simply deems it unworthy of himself to get into any messy or uncomfortable details like this.
This book lacks analytical rigor, which seriously limits its ultimate usefulness. But it does serve to effectively blow off some steam in a measured way and also makes some accurate critiques of the backwardness of contemporary Muslim states. Until Muslim countries consistently treat minorities with equal dignity Bruckner and others will be right to lampoon them. As an aside he also seems to harbor a lot of sublimated resentment towards the United States (seeing it as a rival to France) which manifests in mildly comic ways in his analysis.
If you enjoyed reading Terror and Liberalism you’ll enjoy this, but it’s an equally misleading book when it comes to the details of its own subject. It also flips back and forth between condemnation and praise, confrontation and conciliation, so much that it can induce a bit of whiplash and obscure what his actual point is.
Bruckner is right that there is lots to criticize in the Muslim world, most prominently its inferior level of tolerance when compared with the West. He is also right that “Islam” is not a race per se, or at least not only that, although it is being racialized by both those who want to attack and defend it at present. He mercilessly satirizes both the left and Islamists, whom he depicts as being in some kind of mutually duplicitous alliance. This is an uncharitable description and rings mostly false in reality (maybe people really believe the things they say and are not engaged in false consciousness?), but he writes it in an amusing way.
My issue with his basic critique is twofold. First, he is unable to understand that other people may have different ideas of what constitutes the good, outside of his French preoccupation with laicite. He is a liberal totalitarian in the sense that he is only willing to tolerate a superficial diversity, while blindly praising his own open-mindedness. Secondly he has a complete blind spot when it comes to foreign policy, perhaps willfully. As far as he’s concerned the existence of Western-fomented wars in which literally millions have now been killed is totally irrelevant to the glorious cosmic battle between liberalism and its enemies going on in his head. He depicts any opposition to contemporary Zionism as the Real Racism, which makes Palestinians racists by their mere existence I suppose.
As one prime example of his head-in-the-clouds analysis, Bruckner has the bright idea of getting a Sunni Muslim institution like al Azhar to issue a mea culpa for the bad acts that accompanied earlier historical periods of the religion, such as the Catholic Church did a few decades ago. Upon closer examination it’s unclear to whom this apology should be directed however. Everyone who is Muslim today is Muslim as a result of the initial Arab conquests but since the conquerors were wise enough to expand the universality of their community, it gradually led to the conquered seeing themselves as authentically Muslim as well. Should the Quraish tribe of the Prophet Muhammad apologize to the rest of the world? This is the absurd implication of this proposal.
A huge part of the reason for Islam’s present backwardness is the fact that important institutions like al Azhar lack independence because they have been turned into satraps of dictators like Abdelfattah Sisi, whom Bruckner quotes approvingly and who retains power as part of a longstanding partnership between the Egyptian military and the West. Bruckner seems to be unaware of this or simply deems it unworthy of himself to get into any messy or uncomfortable details like this.
This book lacks analytical rigor, which seriously limits its ultimate usefulness. But it does serve to effectively blow off some steam in a measured way and also makes some accurate critiques of the backwardness of contemporary Muslim states. Until Muslim countries consistently treat minorities with equal dignity Bruckner and others will be right to lampoon them. As an aside he also seems to harbor a lot of sublimated resentment towards the United States (seeing it as a rival to France) which manifests in mildly comic ways in his analysis.
If you enjoyed reading Terror and Liberalism you’ll enjoy this, but it’s an equally misleading book when it comes to the details of its own subject. It also flips back and forth between condemnation and praise, confrontation and conciliation, so much that it can induce a bit of whiplash and obscure what his actual point is.
March 30, 2019
Is there such thing as Islamophobia?
Brilliantly written by a well-known French writer and philosopher, Pascal Bruckner has published scholarly work in the area of Islamo-fascism. He is highly analytical and skilled in describing the Muslim invasion of Europe in a historical context and the impact of modern-day immigrants from Asia and Africa.
The word “Islamophobia” was invented by Muslims that amalgamates two opposing concepts: the persecution of non-believers of Islam is acceptable; and debating Islamic belief system is unacceptable: God’s Word is too sacred for interpretation! This notion supported by all Muslim countries has made Islam above all other religions. In October 2013, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, who persecute Hindus, Jews, Christians and Buddhists into extinction, demanded that Western countries put an end to freedom of expression about Islam. Even though by all estimates, by the middle of this century, non-Islamic faiths like Christianism in Muslim Middle-East is expected to be extinct. Muslims and journalists supportive of the “Religion of Peace” enlistment leftists, neo-liberals and feminists in the defense of Islam in non-Muslim countries. They have rebaptized it as the religion of the poor. In fact, they are making criticism Muslim faith an international crime. Blasphemy laws in countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia have seriously affected the lives of non-Muslims. To contest a form of obedience, and to reject dogmas that is absurd or false is the very basis of intellectual life, but belief in the existence of Islamophobia renders such contestation impossible. The fundamentalist preacher Tariq Ramadan, now in a French jail for rape, explained that the situation of Muslims in Europe was like that of Jews in the 1930s. The implication is, if we criticize Islam, then it is nothing less than a Holocaust. The notion of Islamophobia is meant to give the religion of the Prophet a status of exemption denied to other spiritual systems. Thus, we have the reprehensible laws enacted by the U.K, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations that prohibits criticism of Islam, while other faiths still can be denigrated without any fear!
In Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve of 2016, around 1,000 Muslim migrants congregated by the city’s main train station, where they sexually assaulted hundreds of German women, defied police; and one attacker crowed, “I’m a Syrian! you have to treat me kindly! Mrs. Merkel invited me.” In response, Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker vowed to make sure that women change their behavior so that they don’t provoke the poor immigrants to sexual assault again. The teachings are progressively taking over the cultures of Christian world.
This book is strongly Euro-centric and favors to discuss Islamic takeover of Europe rather discuss in a broader context. The efforts of Muslims to conquer India, Asia and Africa where Hinduism, Buddhism sand Christianism has suffered immensely throughout the history.
Brilliantly written by a well-known French writer and philosopher, Pascal Bruckner has published scholarly work in the area of Islamo-fascism. He is highly analytical and skilled in describing the Muslim invasion of Europe in a historical context and the impact of modern-day immigrants from Asia and Africa.
The word “Islamophobia” was invented by Muslims that amalgamates two opposing concepts: the persecution of non-believers of Islam is acceptable; and debating Islamic belief system is unacceptable: God’s Word is too sacred for interpretation! This notion supported by all Muslim countries has made Islam above all other religions. In October 2013, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, who persecute Hindus, Jews, Christians and Buddhists into extinction, demanded that Western countries put an end to freedom of expression about Islam. Even though by all estimates, by the middle of this century, non-Islamic faiths like Christianism in Muslim Middle-East is expected to be extinct. Muslims and journalists supportive of the “Religion of Peace” enlistment leftists, neo-liberals and feminists in the defense of Islam in non-Muslim countries. They have rebaptized it as the religion of the poor. In fact, they are making criticism Muslim faith an international crime. Blasphemy laws in countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia have seriously affected the lives of non-Muslims. To contest a form of obedience, and to reject dogmas that is absurd or false is the very basis of intellectual life, but belief in the existence of Islamophobia renders such contestation impossible. The fundamentalist preacher Tariq Ramadan, now in a French jail for rape, explained that the situation of Muslims in Europe was like that of Jews in the 1930s. The implication is, if we criticize Islam, then it is nothing less than a Holocaust. The notion of Islamophobia is meant to give the religion of the Prophet a status of exemption denied to other spiritual systems. Thus, we have the reprehensible laws enacted by the U.K, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations that prohibits criticism of Islam, while other faiths still can be denigrated without any fear!
In Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve of 2016, around 1,000 Muslim migrants congregated by the city’s main train station, where they sexually assaulted hundreds of German women, defied police; and one attacker crowed, “I’m a Syrian! you have to treat me kindly! Mrs. Merkel invited me.” In response, Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker vowed to make sure that women change their behavior so that they don’t provoke the poor immigrants to sexual assault again. The teachings are progressively taking over the cultures of Christian world.
This book is strongly Euro-centric and favors to discuss Islamic takeover of Europe rather discuss in a broader context. The efforts of Muslims to conquer India, Asia and Africa where Hinduism, Buddhism sand Christianism has suffered immensely throughout the history.
July 8, 2022
Deeply disappointed in this book, since the topic was something that interested me, expecting to find an objective analysis of the phenomenon of stigmatising the critics of fundamentalist Islam, which can ultimately harm this religion, and hold it back from modernising and adapting to the contemporary open world characterised by globalisation and multiculturalism.
But the author doesn't do that at all. On the contrary. In the best case he just lists the most provocative, hypocritical and negligent opinions and statements of people defending fundamentalism. This leads to the author generalising these statements as being the norm in our society. This happens indirectly. The author doesn't say it, but if the reader is not very careful, it can lead to that.
Often times the author is misinterpreting the texts he cites, tangling them with his opinions, and giving those sources new meanings.
Hence, there is nothing I could learn from this book, because information, or logical analyses are not its purpose. This essay will only increase anger and hate in the reader, the author becoming more and more subjective with every chapter, even insulting different the different eople he cites for their opinions.
I planned to also read The Tyrany of Guilt, but now after reading this one, I'm not so sure about it.
But the author doesn't do that at all. On the contrary. In the best case he just lists the most provocative, hypocritical and negligent opinions and statements of people defending fundamentalism. This leads to the author generalising these statements as being the norm in our society. This happens indirectly. The author doesn't say it, but if the reader is not very careful, it can lead to that.
Often times the author is misinterpreting the texts he cites, tangling them with his opinions, and giving those sources new meanings.
Hence, there is nothing I could learn from this book, because information, or logical analyses are not its purpose. This essay will only increase anger and hate in the reader, the author becoming more and more subjective with every chapter, even insulting different the different eople he cites for their opinions.
I planned to also read The Tyrany of Guilt, but now after reading this one, I'm not so sure about it.
June 26, 2020
Every time my partner sees Bruckner’s “Tears of a White Man” in my library, she sings the title to the tune of Flight of the Conchords’ “Tears of a Rapper,” making me giggle. This book does not bring smiles, only a bunch of outrageous claims about Muslims by a sharp writer who should know better. French intellectuals have bizarre prejudices that would make American conservatives blush. Grumpy Bruckner sounds like a Fox News host, arguing that anti-racists invent new forms of offense and actually perpetuate discord by all this race talk. But you can see where the alt-right are getting their ideas—from the ‘great replacement’ thesis to these sad silly takes on racism. He insists that the French are becoming a “colonized people”—phew, fucked up; echoes of Mein Kampf. Still, other parts of his book are charming and reasonable. Overall, it’s a lot of “small dick energy” worried about wine and the fate of French High Culture. A better use of time: see the gritty film ‘Les Miserables’ (2019).
July 9, 2018
Malgré quelques réflexions intéressantes, le livre souffre d'un lien pour le moins ténu entre l'auteur et le monde réel. Cela se voit surtout dans le titre : à aucun moment du livre n'est envisagée la possibilité que l'"islamophobie" ne soit pas uniquement un mot utilisé par les fanatiques pour disqualifier toute critique de l'islam ou de certains courants politiques qui s'y associent (ce qui bien sûr arrive parfois), mais également un phénomène bien concret qui engendre méfiance ou hostilité envers toute personne musulmane ou assignée comme telle. Il y a pourtant plusieurs études et sondages qui au moins suggèrent une hostilité, et des discriminations, dues spécifiquement à la religion (réelle ou supposée) des individus, indépendamment de leur nationalité ou de leur appartenance ethnique (réelle ou supposée). On s'attendrait à ce que l'auteur traite de ces études, mais non : ce racisme est imaginaire et n'existe pas, pas la peine de discuter. Le résultat est un livre qui renforcera certainement les convictions de ceux qui sont a priori d'accord avec l'auteur, mais dont l'intérêt pour le reste du monde est assez limité.
July 12, 2025
"Simone de Beauvoir along with Sartre and Foucault was a member of the support committee for Ayatollah Khomeini, who was then living in exile in Neauphle-le-Château, near Paris."
May 31, 2024
I totally agree with Bruckner with his views against Islamists, leftists and the haters of Charlie Hebdo.
Yet concerning Israel, Palestine and the Zionists, the ongoing genocide proved him to be totally blindsided
Yet concerning Israel, Palestine and the Zionists, the ongoing genocide proved him to be totally blindsided
December 30, 2018
Excellent
For those familiar with the issues discussed there will be nothing new, and yet it is to those that the effect of this book will be the greatest. Because this collection of essays maps the entire moral landscape inside of which the debates concerning Islam and its place in the West should be held, and it does so in the most witty, the most elegant way that I have ever encountered.
For those familiar with the issues discussed there will be nothing new, and yet it is to those that the effect of this book will be the greatest. Because this collection of essays maps the entire moral landscape inside of which the debates concerning Islam and its place in the West should be held, and it does so in the most witty, the most elegant way that I have ever encountered.
January 17, 2026
Cuvântul “islamofobie” a fost inventat de musulmani și este definit ca un fenomen de prejudecată împotriva acestora.
Pascal Bruckner este de părere că islamul va ajunge să controleze Europa.
În cea mai mare parte, enumeră opinii și declarații ale altor persoane, iar afirmațiile sale repetitive sunt destul de scandaloase la adresa musulmanilor.
Eseul nu este unul ușor de citit, pe alocuri greu de înțeles. Termenii folosiți nu sunt cei mai uzuali, iar evenimentele istorice pe care le precizează trebuie să le cunoști altfel nu înțelegi ce vrea să spună.
“Un anume liberalism se fundamentează pe ipoteza că în condiții de egalitate, cetățenii pot coabita pașnic în același spațiu, în pofida viziunilor lor diferite asupra binelui absolut, cu condiția de a se pune de acord asupra unui număr limitat de principii de bază."
Pascal Bruckner este de părere că islamul va ajunge să controleze Europa.
În cea mai mare parte, enumeră opinii și declarații ale altor persoane, iar afirmațiile sale repetitive sunt destul de scandaloase la adresa musulmanilor.
Eseul nu este unul ușor de citit, pe alocuri greu de înțeles. Termenii folosiți nu sunt cei mai uzuali, iar evenimentele istorice pe care le precizează trebuie să le cunoști altfel nu înțelegi ce vrea să spună.
“Un anume liberalism se fundamentează pe ipoteza că în condiții de egalitate, cetățenii pot coabita pașnic în același spațiu, în pofida viziunilor lor diferite asupra binelui absolut, cu condiția de a se pune de acord asupra unui număr limitat de principii de bază."
February 25, 2024
Those who rate this book as less than 3 stars have: clearly not read the essay; are unable to drop their own "priors" to view the argument with an open mind; are radical islamists themselves. They are exactly the type of person the author is writing for and arguing against. The essay has no power. No power to "increase anger" nor hate; the facts and actions of fundamentalists, on the other hand, do have the power to do such. Hopefully, a re-reading of this brilliant essay can be met with a more open mind on their part, Inshallah
June 23, 2019
Pascal Bruckner coupe les cheveux en quatre et affirme que l'islamophobie n'est pas une forme de racisme puisque l'islam regroupe des populations très diversifiées... Mais quiconque a une once de bon sens peut voir que les musulmans sont stigmatisés de nos jours, peu importe leur origine ethnique, dans les pays riches en tout cas. Que ce soit du racisme ou de la méfiance à l'égard d'un groupe confessionnel, pour moi, cela revient à peu près au même.
October 23, 2023
Car je ne peux pas mettre une seule étoile...loooong à lire , on ne comprend pas vraiment ou veut en venir l'auteur. Mais on comprend bien que l'islam est um problème en soit pour lui. L'analyse n'est pas réellement neutre selon moi.
March 11, 2021
Un gust amar. Interesant subiectul, surse multe și variate, dar combinate nu reiese ce trebuie.
February 8, 2024
Lots to learn
I had some background knowledge ANd ideas. The book reinforced what I knew and thought. Gave me factual theoretical knowledge and the where of Islamophpbia
I had some background knowledge ANd ideas. The book reinforced what I knew and thought. Gave me factual theoretical knowledge and the where of Islamophpbia
January 15, 2026
4/5
A concise and provocative essay that questions Western guilt and the way Islamophobia is framed in public discourse. Challenging and thought-provoking, even if at times repetitive.
A concise and provocative essay that questions Western guilt and the way Islamophobia is framed in public discourse. Challenging and thought-provoking, even if at times repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews