Is kaffir a racist slur?

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Ya but if u truly disbelieve in Islam and are a Kafir then why is it such a big deal. Like if someone called me a Muslim I'm happy; thats what I am.
Kafir is not a bad word or offensive term its just a way of describing someone. So why such a big deal.
I think if a non-Muslim gets offended by that word, then either he's REALLY soft. Or he has doubts about his disbelief.
 
Shakoor15 said:
Ya but if u truly disbelieve in Islam and are a Kafir then why is it such a big deal. Like if someone called me a Muslim I'm happy; thats what I am.
Kafir is not a bad word or offensive term its just a way of describing someone. So why such a big deal.
I think if a non-Muslim gets offended by that word, then either he's REALLY soft. Or he has doubts about his disbelief.
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Words change their meaning. Going with the classical example, negro/neger and all the other variants is/was just a way of describing a black person in various languages.

Compare:

Ya but if u truly are a negro then why is it such a big deal? Negro is not a bad word or offensive term its just a way of describing someone. So why such a big deal? I think if a black man gets offended by that word, then either he's REALLY soft, or he has doubts about his blackness.
 
No its different Black is actually a race. You can chose to be a Muslim or not, while being black is just what how ur born.
I just cannot see how Kafir is a racist slur. It seems ridiculous to me. Maybe you can say that Kafir has a negative connotation but its not a racist slur lol
 
Suomipoika said:
Words change their meaning. Going with the classical example, negro/neger and all the other variants is/was just a way of describing a black person in various languages.

Compare:

Ya but if u truly are a negro then why is it such a big deal? Negro is not a bad word or offensive term its just a way of describing someone. So why such a big deal? I think if a black man gets offended by that word, then either he's REALLY soft, or he has doubts about his blackness.
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Haha! How can you compare the two???

N***er is used to describe a race....

Kafir is used to define....???

A race?? No!

A country??? No!!

A family??? No!!!

Amazing how you made the connection ^o)
 
Shakoor15 said:
No its different Black is actually a race. You can chose to be a Muslim or not, while being black is just what how ur born.
I just cannot see how Kafir is a racist slur. It seems ridiculous to me. Maybe you can say that Kafir has a negative connotation but its not a racist slur lol
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So the degarotary value of a word is based on whether you can change to become something else or not?
 
Hamayun said:
Haha! How can you compare the two???

N***er is used to describe a race....

Kafir is used to define....???

A race?? No!

A country??? No!!

A family??? No!!!

Amazing how you made the connection ^o)
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Both started out as something inoffensive, both are being used as hate words. Thats where I took the connection.
 
Suomipoika said:
Both started out as something inoffensive, both are being used as hate words. Thats where I took the connection.
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But the point I am trying to make is... people use the word "Kafir" and "Unbeliever" in exactly the same context. ^o)

It all depends on what language you say it in.

Are you now saying we are not allowed to call an unbeliever an unbeliever? So what do we call them? A believer? :?
 
I'll agree to this, depending on the context, Kafir can have a negative connotation. But even when it is used like that, it doesnt make it a racist a slur. Not at all. I wouldnt say the word infidel is a racial slur.
 
salaam

Kafir is someone who covers something up - or covering up the truth in Islam

words such as P***, N***** are directed at a particular group who didnt choose to be in that specific race

Kuffar on the other hand is a choice by the individual. To reject Islam or as Muslims would say the truth.
 
Shakoor15 said:
I'll agree to this, depending on the context, Kafir can have a negative connotation. But even when it is used like that, it doesnt make it a racist a slur. Not at all. I wouldnt say the word infidel is a racial slur.
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Depending on the context "unbeliever" can have a negative connotation. It doesn't mean you should stop calling a spade a "spade".
 
Suomipoika said:
Words change their meaning. Going with the classical example, negro/neger and all the other variants is/was just a way of describing a black person in various languages.

Compare:

Ya but if u truly are a negro then why is it such a big deal? Negro is not a bad word or offensive term its just a way of describing someone. So why such a big deal? I think if a black man gets offended by that word, then either he's REALLY soft, or he has doubts about his blackness.
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LOL, I'm sorry but that does not make any sense whatsoever. You're not understanding that the direct meaning of a kufaar or a kaffir is an unbeliever. An unbeliever can be black, white, yellow, etc. just like a Muslim can be from any race.

If you find it offensive, then that's your problem, it's not meant to be that way.
 
as explained prior.. a kaffir is someone who disbelieves in God, if you feel you are not a kaffir then become of the believers ..
a very common example from the Quran chapter 18
[FONT=VERDANA,ARIAL, HELVETICA]
[/FONT]
[FONT=VERDANA,ARIAL, HELVETICA] قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا {37}[/FONT]​
[FONT=VERDANA,ARIAL, HELVETICA][SIZE=-1][Pickthal 18:37] His comrade, when he (thus) spake with him, exclaimed: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee

the word conjugated for a male from kufr (the act of) read as 'akafart' from kufr 'as in do you disbelieve in he who created you'...
It is really very simply.. if you don't wish to be a goy, gentile, kaffir, then be a believer or clam up, it isn't worth three pages worth of whining!

cheers
[/SIZE][/FONT]
 
Shakoor15 said:
I'll agree to this, depending on the context, Kafir can have a negative connotation. But even when it is used like that, it doesnt make it a racist a slur. Not at all. I wouldnt say the word infidel is a racial slur.
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Perhaps not a racial slur, but that doesnt really make it any less offensive when used as degoratory term.

Hamayun said:
Depending on the context "unbeliever" can have a negative connotation. It doesn't mean you should stop calling a spade a "spade".
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People didnt stop calling black people black, they just stopped (well, unfortunately not all) using the offensive slur when negro (and variants) became offensive.

Ameena* said:
If you find it offensive, then that's your problem, it's not meant to be that way.
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Except that alot of people do mean it and use it that way. And that is pretty priceless "If you find it offensive, then thats your problem". Should remember it for future use.
 
Suomipoika said:
Perhaps not a racial slur, but that doesnt really make it any less offensive when used as degoratory term.



People didnt stop calling black people black, they just stopped (well, unfortunately not all) using the offensive slur when negro (and variants) became offensive.



Except that alot of people do mean it and use it that way. And that is pretty priceless "If you find it offensive, then thats your problem". Should remember it for future use.
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Oh wise one...

please teach us another Arabic word to describe non believers that suits you then???? ^o)

Kafir is the exact translation of the word "unbeliever"....

Are you saying the exact translation of the word "Black" is "Negro"??? :? Really?
 
Hamayun said:
Oh wise one...
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Thank you. :smile:

please teach us another Arabic word to describe non believers that suits you then???? ^o)

Kafir is the exact translation of the word "unbeliever"....
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Despite my wiseness, I dont have such power imsad, and even if I had such power, I would not be looking for you to discover new word or anything else. Im just comparing what happened with one another word that was used as an offensive slur and using it as a tool when arguing against your (what I see as) faulty rationalising.

I have to admit that due to its usage and rather regular appearance with words like dog, the word kaffir offends me somewhat and gives me rather negative feelings about people who use it to describe me, but whether kaffir should be dropped or not, I cannot really say. I just disagree with your reasoning why it shouldnt be dropped.

Personally what I would really like to see is some real self-criticism among muslim communities to tackle the hate and intolerance towards unbelievers (especially the western ones) and prevent the usage of the word kaffir as a hate word.

Besides, if my memory doesnt fail me, negro is still used as perfectly accetaple term without any negative connotation in some Latin American countries.

Are you saying the exact translation of the word "Black" is "Negro"??? :? Really?
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They are used as synonyms.
 
In my opinion many people use it disrespectfully and in this case I would say its wrong, as only Allah SWT knows the secrets of the heart and you may be claiming that someone is a Disbeliever when in essence there soul is devoted to Allah SWT. This is were I think people should be careful and think twice about throwing words around which could hurt someone. restricting the tongue is important. The word itself has no intention of racism if used in the correct manner and tone befitting the topic you are addressing
And Allah SWT knows best!
 
I am sorry that you find it offensive but you can not expect us to drop a word from the Arabic dictionary because someone doesn't like the sound of it.

When I use the word it is not with the intention to cause offence at all.

It would be understandable if the word had an offensive meaning... but this makes no sense.
 
depends how you use it.

u can use it to defile others.

my grandma is hindu, and her fave curse word is calling people kaffir! lol


compare the sentences...
-they are kaffirs
-they are people who do not believe in god
-they are poeple who do not believe in god yet


v good this thread...... linguistic use can reveal pride in your own heart. i have called people kaffirs. as derogatory slang....

i guess there are 2 words

"kaffir" the true arabic word that has no racial connection

and the word

"kaffir" the derogatory slang variation....

on this board lets just say "no derogatory slang allowed"

....
 
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