[This is the third part of a ten-part series. To read more, see Parts 1 and 2 here.]

Caffè Italiano: The two meet again and get straight down to talking.

EU bureaucrat: As I said yesterday, people have different rules for their lives. They behave differently in their business lives regarding their health, physical environment, social life and romance. Everybody’s different. You can’t examine the collective behavior of Muslims.

Islamofactist: I respectfully disagree. The fact is that sociology and sociologists routinely study “collective behaviour.”

EU bureaucrat: They didn’t teach that at the L’École nationale d’administration publique (L’ENAP). Well, what do sociologists have to say about collective behaviour?

Islamofactist: Many things, but here’s one example. The US sociologist Neil J. Smelser defined collective behaviour as “mobilization on the basis of a belief which redefines social action.” And Britannica helpfully informs us, his definition ”points attention toward the unique manner in which members perceive reality; without such a view, a group of people would not be engaged in collective behaviour.”

EU bureaucrat: But what’s the connection to Muslims’s collective behavior?

Islamofactist: It’s direct and strong. Is it a fact that Islam means “submission to Allah”?

EU bureaucrat: I believe it is. Now that you mention it, I recall someone in my office was reading a book by Michel Houellebecq called Submission. I dipped into it. It’s about a new Islamic party sweeping to power in France. Terribly Islamophobic if you ask me. But I digress, please carry on.

Islamofactist: Is it a fact that Muhammad, the Islamic Prophet, is the only human being in human history who gave rise to a religion, a body of law, a worldview and a civilization?

EU bureaucrat: Yes. I believe we in the West need to do more to recognize the achievements of the Islamic world.

Islamofactist: Indeed. Is it a fact that Muslims claim “Islam is an all-embracing way of life”? And that in the Quran or the Prophetic traditions, one can find “instructions regarding all aspects of life: political, social, economic, material, ethical, national and international”?

EU bureaucrat: I must admit I have heard Muslim claims to that effect.

Islamofactist: Isn’t it a fact that the vast majority of Muslims will unhesitatingly admit to the supreme importance of Islam in their lives, that they weave their everyday activities into a single cloth of religious devotion?

EU bureaucrat: Poetic and true. From all my interactions with Muslims, there is nothing more important to them than Islam. Their faith is truly remarkable.

Islamofactist: Sharp insight. Is it a fact that, because of its claim to be a complete code and answer to all facets of life, Muslim observance makes Islam the most socially manifested and visible religion in Europe and around the world in its modes of social interaction, clothes, politics, architecture and food?

EU bureaucrat: Diversity is our strength. I love shawarma. My daughter brought it home one day. Now the whole family can’t do without it … order it from a great takeout place called Shawarmania.

Islamofactist: I love falafel too. Do we have an agreement that we can study the collective behaviour of Muslims?

EU bureaucrat: No. If we are to accept that there is something that can objectively be called Muslim collective behavior, then there ought to be a name for it that Muslims accept. Is there one?

Islamofactist: As it happens, there is.

EU bureaucrat: What is it?

Islamofactist: The word is Muslimness.

EU bureaucrat: Muslimness!? Now, there you go, coining another word.

Islamofactist: I’m afraid I didn’t come up with it. Instead, the credit goes to the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) that coined this word but didn’t define it. You will recall their definition of Islamophobia: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

EU bureaucrat: But how did this word originate?

Islamofactist: They said they came up with this word following widespread consultations that included “Muslim organizations, activists, campaigners and local Muslim communities.” Hence, it is the choice of the Muslim community. But they didn’t define it.

EU bureaucrat: That’s strange. Then why do you think Muslims wanted the word “Muslimness”?

Islamofactist: Valid question. Let’s keep it simple and straightforward and try the Occam’s Razor approach, that is, the idea that the simplest explanation is most likely to be true. First, what does Islam mean? Submission. Second, what does it claim? That it is an ”all-embracing way of life.”

EU bureaucrat: Go on.

Islamofactist: Based on these two facts, I define “Muslimness” as a Muslim’s social and public demonstration of their submission to Islam’s fundamental claim to be the sole and final determinant in all aspects of a Muslim’s life.

EU bureaucrat: I see. In other words, can one consider Muslimness as applied, socially visible Islam?

Islamofactist: That is both pithy and accurate.

EU bureaucrat: Have you tested the soundness of this word, “Muslimness”?

Islamofactist: Yes. Islamic websites speak about “The Completeness of Islam” and inform us that in the daily lives of Muslims, “submission to Allah’s commands and teachings extends far beyond the performance of religious rituals. It encompasses a broader understanding of submission that permeates various aspects of their lives, influencing personal conduct, relationships and social interactions.”

EU bureaucrat: Maybe you’ve cleared a really knotty problem in the APPG report. So, how does this “Muslimness” manifest itself?

Islamofactist: Halal food and women’s headdresses are well-known examples, of course. But it goes far beyond that. One example would be the deliberate adoption of an Islamic identity that is superimposed upon and precedes the professions in which Muslims are engaged. In the UK, for example, there is the National Association of Muslim Police; the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA); and the UK Muslim Film that works to create a “culture where Muslims on screen are recognized, embraced and celebrated by audiences worldwide.” There’s also the Muslim Travel Girl blog that offers advice on the “20 Best Muslim Countries to Visit in 2024 for a Halal Holiday.”

EU bureaucrat: That’s problematic. Are you implying Muslimness cancels all other identities of Muslims?

Islamofactist: Not at all. Others can exist. All I am saying is that a Muslims’ Muslimness is their primary identity, and others are invariably subordinate.

EU bureaucrat: Any examples from the US?

Islamofactist: Yes. In 2018, CNN highlighted prominent American Muslim achievers. Almost without exception, the people in this list focused only on Muslim issues, identity and Islam. These included a Muslim comedian who introduced himself to his audience as wanting to be their “Muslim friend,” another who had created a “Muslim superhero,” and even another who started a “Muslim college.” One of them trained “Muslim chaplains,” and another defined “Muslim cool.” Dalia Mogahed gave a TED Talk on “What it’s like to be a Muslim in America.” Representative Keith Ellison was the “first Muslim in Congress.” There is even one who became a “Snapchat Imam” and another who started her platform, MuslimGirl.com, because C-SPAN never had “Muslims on the air doing the talking.” Another is a New York Times opinion writer who writes “dystopian fiction about life inside Muslim concentration camps.”

EU bureaucrat: I see. In other words, Muslimness comes before everything else.

Islamofactist: Based on the examples of Muslims’ actions, that would be correct.

EU bureaucrat: I’m not convinced. If “Muslimness” is applied to Islam, how do we account for the fact that there are varying degrees of religious observance among Muslims? I mean, there can be degrees of Muslimness, if you see what I mean.

Islamofactist: Good question. As Islam is claimed to be the literal and last revealed word of God as recorded in the Qur’an, every Muslim who acts on the commands in the Qur’an is demonstrating their Muslimness. The fact is, there is no authority on earth that can declare that a person “is not a Muslim,” as the definition of Muslims is simple: It’s a religious category, identifying those who practice Islam. One can be extremely devout or follow only parts of Islam, but either way, they still identify as Muslim.” So, the distinction you seek to draw is meaningless.

EU bureaucrat: This is rather interesting. Let me see if I can summarize what you have told me. By using the Islamofactist method, one can objectively study the collective behaviour of Muslims, which Muslims themselves call “Muslimness.” Do I get it?

Islamofactist: You do.

EU bureaucrat: I hope you realize my position. I can’t commit to anything. Can I talk it over with my boss to get her guidance? Let’s continue tomorrow, shall we?

Islamofactist: Sure.

EU bureaucrat: (to the server) L’addition, s’il vous plaît.

They tussle over who will pay the bill and decide to split it. Outside, each goes their way, melting into the crowds.

[Cheyenne Torres edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.