Are you an Islamophobe?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I work with a Muslim kid, he's placement student learning hia trade in the construction management racket.

He prays 5 times a day and is pretty devout. I find it alien and off putting. He's also a really nice kid and loves banter (a must in construction). So whilst I find his religion weird, I really Like him as a person. That scenario plays out for everyone with everyone else. People hold all sort of wacky beliefs. Islam is just an idea after all. Why should anyone be told to like it? As you say, it becomes an issue when people start to mistake the idea for the person, unless of course a person is defined purely by their idea (or their self-identify) then they're fair game as far as I'm concerned.