Not Really Surprised

Egypt Al-Azhar scholar supports French niqab ban

After all, the Muslim Brotherhood is very strong in Egypt and would love to impose its joyless, austere and repressive ideology on all Egyptians.

And finally, a fellow Muslim puts the blame for so called Islamophobia exactly where it belongs:

"A leading cleric at Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar Mosque on Wednesday applauded France's ban on the face veil worn by some devout Muslim women, saying the niqab harmed Islam's image.

Abdel Muti al-Bayyumi, a member of an influential council of clerics at al-Azhar, said the niqab, a full-face veil that leaves an opening for the eyes, "has no basis in Islamic law and there is nothing in the Koran or Sunna that supports it."

"I personally support (the ban) and many of my brothers in the Islamic Research Academy support it. My position against the niqab is actually older than France's," said Bayyumi, who has authored a book against the practice.

"I want to send a message to Muslims in France and Europe. The niqab has no basis in Islam. I used to feel dismayed when I saw some of the sisters (in France) wearing the niqab. This does not give a good impression of Islam.""

Now, if we could just hear more from people like him about people like this. This worn out meme that news of such arrests will cause more Islamophobia has got to go. First of all, if there is increasing fear of Islam, it is, by definition, not a phobia. Secondly, to the extent it does spread fear and distrust it is precisely because the worn out memes betray a failure on the part of ordinary Muslims in the Western world (and their leftist apologists), to answer the call of duty and defend their country against those whose barbaric behavior generates the fear. Get the focus where it belongs folks, and make sure the rest of us not only hear you but can honestly believe you, because quite frankly, you have a credibility problem which is betrayed by your whining about Islamophobia.