Israel Copyrights Mention Of Islamophobia, Putting Haters In Bind

Editor’s note: Israel Military Industries gave its consent to the use of the term “Islamophobia” in this article.

Tel Aviv, April 27 – A government-owned Israeli corporation secured rights to use of the term “Islamophobia” this week, putting it in position to profit from the profligately used word, a company spokesman said today. Additionally, said the spokesman, foes of Israel who attempt to stifle discussion of violence perpetrated in the name Islam will now face the unpleasant choice between benefiting Israel financially and curtailing their own efforts to repress speech with which they disagree.

Israel Military Industries received approval of the international copyright registration yesterday (Sunday), but the copyright is effective retroactive to August 2001, shortly before the term began to enjoy widespread currency. Under the terms of the copyright, unauthorized usage of the word “Islamophobia” will incur a fine of five US dollars, with each mention of the term counting as a separate violation, even if multiple usages occur within the same statement or on the same occasion.

Islamophobia technically refers to unjustified hatred of Islam and its adherents; the word initially gained popularity in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as Americans’ suspicion of Muslims came to a head, and were seen to overreact to the coreligionists of those who perpetrated the deadly attacks. Over time, however, its use shifted, from exclusively warning against tarring all Muslims with the same terrorist brush to serving as a straw man with which to silence legitimate criticism.

IMI will not immediately move to collect on all uses of “Islamophobia.” Instead the company intends to allow six months during which those who invoked the term may apply for retroactive permission. IMI will soon issue guidelines delineating what circumstances will generally prompt the company to approve use of the term free of charge, though even if those conditions are met, IMI will require approval for use of the term. Otherwise, said the spokesman, the standard single-use rate for crying “Islamophobia” will stand at $1, with certain bulk discounts available.

“We will examine each application on its merits,” said spokesman Shai Lock. “It may take some time to address all the uses of the term since 2001, but we do not expect the backlog of applications – or, alternatively, of processing the collection of the resulting outstanding debts – to impede incoming applications going forward.” Mr. Lock said company analysts put estimates of average application turnaround time at two weeks.

Anticipated revenue from retroactive cases alone is estimated at upwards of $900 million. The revenue is expected to decline sharply, however, in the coming months as the legions of erstwhile abusers of the term will, in all likelihood, refrain from invoking it rather than be compelled to give money to an Israeli entity – let alone an entity so heavily involved in supplying the Israeli military.

Editor’s note: Israel Military Industries gave its consent to the use of the term “Islamophobia” in this article.

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