Islam, Ethnicity, Prejudice, and Tolerance

If Islam is walking around with the metaphorical chip on its shoulder, it may be because, some might say, after the way it's been treated since Muhammad p&b-A-b-u-h first heard the words of Allah, it has good reason.
The word Islamophobia is a relatively new name that has recently been coined, to reflect the new wave of anti-Muslim prejudice that has grown over the last couple of years since 911. Since September 11th, a backlash has been aimed at all Muslims, moderate and fundamentalist alike. This failure by those who are ignorant of the subject to distinguish between the many diverse followers of Islam, and the tendency to tar all Muslims with the extremist brush has meant that many innocent people have come under attack for no reason other than the religion that they follow.
This negative image of Muslims and Islam is not a new phenomenon however. In fact the oppression of the Muslims, and of Islam itself by the west, goes as far back as the Crusades, when early Christian soldiers marched to Palestine in order to "free" Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Islamic influence and authority.
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