The Racialization of Islam: Islamophobia in the United States by Maryam Qureshi

The Racialization of Islam: Islamophobia in the United States
by Maryam Qureshi

“Islamophobia” is discriminatory behavior with racial, political, and historic underpinnings towards Muslims or “look like Muslims” in the United States. A discriminatory reality created by politically motivated rhetoric and imaginations, Muslims across this nation suffer from racial profiling and hate crimes in increasing numbers in our society (Considine). At the forefront of combatting Islamophobia, Nihad Awad, the Executive Director of Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), published in a 2016 report stating that anti-Muslim racism and Islamophobia has “moved from the fringes of American society to the mainstream” (CAIR 2016, 5). During the 2016 presidential campaign, comments against Muslims were made on national television such as, “Islam hates us,” “[Muslims are] uncorked animals,” and “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation” (Considine). Undoubtedly, such rhetoric has inspired attacks against Muslims and non-Muslims in too many states. In November and December of 2015 alone, there were 34 violent attacks reported by American Muslims against their mosques. Many more accounts of assault, murder, and verbal abuse have been reported by American Muslims in only the last few months (Considine). 
Islamophobia is intensified by many groups and organizations. Recently, at least about $205 million were used to spread Islamophobia in America (Considine). Among such organizations are seven charitable institutions that have spent around $42.6 million between 2001 and 2009 (Considine). Moreover, representations of Muslims in media and entertainment have given rise to Islamophobia, as well. “According to Media Tenor International, new outlets such as Fox, NBC, and CBS have depicted Islam as a source of violence between 2007 to 2013” (Considine). A study by Erin Kearns shows that attacks by Muslims receive, on average, 449% more coverage than attacks carried out by non-Muslims. If a terrorist attack is carried out by a Muslim, “you can expect that attack to receive about four and half times more media coverage than if the perpetrator was not Muslim; a perpetrator who is not Muslim would have to kill on average about seven more people to receive the same amount of coverage as a perpetrator who is Muslim” (Considine).  On the other hand, in about 932 out of 1000 films depicting Arabs in America portrayed Arab Muslims as “brute murderers, sleazy rapists, religious fanatics, oil-rich dimwits, and abusers of women” (Shaheen); only 12 films showed Arab Muslims in a positive light. Popular media and the entertainment industry display representations of Muslims that permit hatred towards them. Reinforcing that Muslims are all extremists and violent “lead to dire consequences for Arabs, Muslims, and people who are believed to be Arab and Muslim” (Considine). Muslim Americans have been targets of race-based violence by constructing negative rhetoric of Muslim names, dress, culture, and language.

References
Considine, Craig. “The Racialization of Islam in the United States: Islamophobia, Hate Crimes,
            and ‘Flying While Brown.’” Religions, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 26

            Aug. 2017, www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/9/165.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Sacrificing Moral Character for Political Expediency: Reflections on Election2024" by Jonathan Lightfoot and Veronica Lippencott

As directors of the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice, we seek to frame the recent re-election of Donald Trump as a social justice issue at the intersections of “race,” culture, religion, and politics. We are disheartened to discover that the United States of America chose a white male, 34-count convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist, psychopathic narcissist, and a pathological liar over a highly qualified Black woman of Asian descent with a clean record of criminal or civil liability. In fact, sitting Vice President Kamala Harris had the highest level of elected office experience of anyone who has sought the presidency during the last 65 years. We posit that finger pointing and blaming does little good without an understanding of the historical, social, and political contexts that yielded such results. The United States of America was founded on white supremacy, Indigenous people’s genocide, African people’s enslavement, and female oppression. The vast majority of Donald’s...
Read more

“Intellectual Bondage: Toward a Politics and Hybridity of Academic Writing” by Tyler Thier

Image
  In “ The Politics of Citation ,” Annabel Kim envisions this titular convention as “the map of a process, not the map of a territory.” She barrels onward, arguing for citation not as a site of accruing intellectual capital where the rich get richer and the stars get brighter while the precariat writing against erasure gets forgotten and poorer, but as a jubilee that levels the fields in which we write so that we might accrue an extravagant set of debts resulting not in intellectual bondage but in intellectual freedom. I’m a writing scholar, so I know quite well that writing is situational, dependent on rhetorical purpose, audience, kairos, and so on, that it flexes across genres and adapts itself to various ethical schema. But just because this is an observed truth in my discipline doesn’t mean it should be fundamentalized. The goal of writing studies and composition is to acclimate students to the idea that writing is an essential object unto ...
Read more

“Mental Health Awareness for Students of Color” by Sasha Ferdinand

Image
Mental health awareness is crucial in communities of color for several reasons. Promoting mental health awareness in communities of color is vital to address the unique challenges and barriers these communities face. It is essential for breaking down stigma, improving access to resources, and providing culturally competent care to ensure everyone has the support they need for their mental well-being. More specifically, how these benefits are necessary for students of color in college. As mentioned, many communities of color face significant stigma around mental health issues. There might be cultural norms or beliefs that stigmatize mental health discussions or seeking professional help. Awareness initiatives can help break down these barriers by providing accurate information and encouraging open conversations. Mental health resources on college campuses vary, but typically, most universities offer a range of support services for students. Counseling Centers are a predominant resource...
Read more