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Justin Elliott has an amusing post up with the definitions of Islamophobes most frequently cited Arabic words and Islamic concepts, combined with an explanation of what those they really mean in context:
The term: madrassaHow it's used: To refer to a place where Muslim youth are indoctrinated into radicalism and, often, terrorExample: "I am very concerned that the school will be a madrassa, funded by taxpayer dollars. We will in effect be supporting the training of future terrorist cells." -- Opponent of a proposed Arabic-themed New York schoolWhat it actually means: A place where teaching, studying and learning take place. In early centuries, "madrassa" came to refer to a school of higher studies (college or university) where Islamic sciences were taught. Today, the term is also often used more broadly. Like the term "school" in American English, it can refer, for example, to a university, seminary, college as well as primary or secondary school. In recent years, the term has taken on a negative connotation, and for some simplistically equated with militant madrassas or schools in Pakistan and elsewhere. While they certainly exist and are dangerous training grounds, they represent a relatively small number of the institutions/schools that are referred to as madrassas.As I wrote yesterday, the sharia panic crowd usually deploys these terms as a way of suggesting a certain level of expertise in Islamic theology. The funny part is that, as Elliot notes, they often don't even know what they really mean.
