Deislamize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or eliminate Islamic cultural, religious, or social influences from a person, place, institution, or society
2. The process of stripping away Islamic elements or characteristics in order to secularize or reorient an environment away from Islamic traditions or beliefs
3. Acting to detach or transform aspects of life or governance by reducing or ending Islamic affiliation, practices, or identity within a group or region

Etymology: "Deislamize" is formed in English by adding the prefix "de-", meaning "reverse or remove," to "Islamize," the verb meaning to convert to Islam or to bring something under Islamic influence. "Islamize" itself was built from "Islam," which comes from Arabic "islām," meaning "submission" (to God), from the root "s-l-m," which also gives "salām," "peace." The "-ize" ending, from Greek through Latin, turns a noun into a verb of making or becoming. The "de-" prefix, from Latin "dē-," was used in English to form verbs of reversal such as "decentralize" and "deforest." "Deislamize" follows the same pattern, so its meaning is transparent: it describes stripping Islamic character from a person, institution, or place. Its use is recent and mainly appears in scholarly and political writing about secularization in Muslim-majority or formerly Muslim-ruled regions, where the term is applied to policies or processes rather than to individuals.

Synonyms: secularize

Antonyms: islamize, religionize