AFTER the Christchurch terrorist attack, apart from the shock and horror, an immediate reaction by many is to point out that it is not only Muslims who are terrorists.
In a way, such reminders are necessary given that Islamophobia is a real and concrete problem. But at the same time, it also speaks of the sad state of prejudice and historical illiteracy we are in because anyone with a modicum of understanding of history would know that Islam, or any other religion, is far from being the only signifier appropriated for acts of systemic or random violence.