A notable instance of this criticism is found in a manifesto issued by twelve authors, among them Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, written in response to the violence sparked by the publication of controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark and across Europe in 2005 and 2006. Titled “Together Facing the New Totalitarianism,” the manifesto denies the existence of Islamophobia: … We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of “Islamophobia,” a wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatisation of those who believe in it.

DEFINE: The manifesto redefines Islamophobia as conflating legitimate religious criticism with stigmatization of believers.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 73