The Islamic version of the "No true Scotsman” fallacy. Here is Turkish PM, Erdoğan at the opening of the latest mosque in Cambridge:
A Muslim cannot be a terrorist and Islam does not produce terrorists, the Turkish president said on Dec. 5, once again rejecting the term "Islamic terrorism.” [here; and it's my emphasis].
But.... but.... the prophet himself said "I have been made victorious by terror”. The official biography of Muhammad, the Sirah, reports at least 27 raids and battles he personally directed and took part in, and in which he often resorted to -- and named it as -- terror. Because, he said, it’s effective.
For Erdoğan to make the statement above is to create the boundary that defines Muslims out of any terrorism; that is, that by definition -- by Erdoğan’s specific definition -- someone who commits a terrorist act cannot be a Muslim. I’m gonna reckon that's a “No true Scotsman”, Islamic version, so I’ll see Stark’s fallacy-fallacy and raise him a fallacy.
LATER: Just after I posted this “No True Scotsman” fallacy, the next thing Google puts this into my feed. Kind of interesting, but pretty nerdy. One thing I learnt from it: it’s called a “move” rather than a “fallacy". Thus, for example: 'Erdoğan made the “no true Muslim” move in Cambridge.’ It’s a move, to cut off any discussion. And occupy the ground, without argument or dissent. Like a killer move in “Go”. It’s effective, especially so when many in the west are keen to be duped.
ADDED (re Islamophobia and anti-semitism), prompted by Erdoğan‘s comment that linking Muslims to terrorism is “Islamophobia”, there is this, below the fold …
Jews continue to be 3-4 times* more likely to be victims of hate crimes than are Muslims. I’m not making this point as a bit of “whataboutery “, just that Erdoğan’s complaints about “Islamophobia” (in the article) would land better if this were acknowledged.
Below is from 2018. Figures are similar for the U.K.. They are consistent around the world and have been for a long while.
For Erdoğan to make the statement above is to create the boundary that defines Muslims out of any terrorism; that is, that by definition -- by Erdoğan’s specific definition -- someone who commits a terrorist act cannot be a Muslim. I’m gonna reckon that's a “No true Scotsman”, Islamic version, so I’ll see Stark’s fallacy-fallacy and raise him a fallacy.
LATER: Just after I posted this “No True Scotsman” fallacy, the next thing Google puts this into my feed. Kind of interesting, but pretty nerdy. One thing I learnt from it: it’s called a “move” rather than a “fallacy". Thus, for example: 'Erdoğan made the “no true Muslim” move in Cambridge.’ It’s a move, to cut off any discussion. And occupy the ground, without argument or dissent. Like a killer move in “Go”. It’s effective, especially so when many in the west are keen to be duped.
ADDED (re Islamophobia and anti-semitism), prompted by Erdoğan‘s comment that linking Muslims to terrorism is “Islamophobia”, there is this, below the fold …
Jews continue to be 3-4 times* more likely to be victims of hate crimes than are Muslims. I’m not making this point as a bit of “whataboutery “, just that Erdoğan’s complaints about “Islamophobia” (in the article) would land better if this were acknowledged.
Below is from 2018. Figures are similar for the U.K.. They are consistent around the world and have been for a long while.
 |
| *4 times based on above FBI stats. 3 times, if corrected for relative population of Jewish and Muslim |
