Islamophobia: dislike of, prejudice against, or fear of Islam or Muslims
“From a Southern perspective, the world-system is organized not only around an international division of
labor and a global inter-state system, but include, not as additive elements but as constitutive of the
capitalist accumulation at a world-scale, a global racial/ethnic hierarchy (Western vs. non-Western peoples),
a global patriarchal hierarchy (global gender system and a global sexual system), a global religious
hierarchy, a global linguistic hierarchy, a global epistemic hierarchy..."
- Ramon Grosfuegel
labor and a global inter-state system, but include, not as additive elements but as constitutive of the
capitalist accumulation at a world-scale, a global racial/ethnic hierarchy (Western vs. non-Western peoples),
a global patriarchal hierarchy (global gender system and a global sexual system), a global religious
hierarchy, a global linguistic hierarchy, a global epistemic hierarchy..."
- Ramon Grosfuegel
To truly understand how Islamophobia came into existence, it is essential to understand how the United States adopted the "world-system" Grosfuegel discusses above, the Euro-centric and Western-centric world system upon its foundation, which left all other non-Western, non-modern, non-Christian, and non-Capitalist systems to be deemed inferior. Thus, we will first explore how this Western-centric world system came into being, instigating rise in prejudice against non-Christian religions and non-White races, and ultimately to coining the term Islamophobia.
Timeline: Progression of Islamophobia
1483 - Spain begins inquisition, targeting Jews and Arabs...............................................................................................................Beginning of Otherization
1492 - Columbus discovers the New World
1492 - Edict of Expulsion of Jews in Granada.........................................................................................................................................Antisemitism builds in Spain
1526 - Spain restricts Muslims to go to the New World....................................................................................................................Anti-Muslim Sentiment builds
1609 - Expulsion of Moriscos in Spain
1619 - Dutch trades slaves for food...........................................................................................................................................................Materialization of Slaves
1640 - Maryland makes slavery an institution.....................................................................................................................................Slavery is Institutionalized
1830 - Indian Removal Act (Indians forced to move to reservations).......................................................................................Otherization spreads to Indians
1882 - Chinese Exclusion Act.......................................................................................................................................................................and to Asian Immigrants
1924 - Johnson Reed Act (Quota system on immigration)..............................................................................................................and to all Immigrants
1930 - Lynching in South for African Americans ensues................................................................................................................Hatred against "Other" races ensues
1942 - Executive Order 9066 (Japanese Internment)......................................................................................................................Japanese Immigrants dehumanized
1997 - Runnymede Trust Report...............................................................................................................................................................The Term "Islamophobia" is coined
2001 - 9/11 Terrorism on World Trade Center...................................................................................................................................Hatred against Muslim reaches its peak
2001 - US Patriot Act (Stress of anti-terrorism post-9/11)...........................................................................................................US Patriotism solidifies
1492 - Columbus discovers the New World
1492 - Edict of Expulsion of Jews in Granada.........................................................................................................................................Antisemitism builds in Spain
1526 - Spain restricts Muslims to go to the New World....................................................................................................................Anti-Muslim Sentiment builds
1609 - Expulsion of Moriscos in Spain
1619 - Dutch trades slaves for food...........................................................................................................................................................Materialization of Slaves
1640 - Maryland makes slavery an institution.....................................................................................................................................Slavery is Institutionalized
1830 - Indian Removal Act (Indians forced to move to reservations).......................................................................................Otherization spreads to Indians
1882 - Chinese Exclusion Act.......................................................................................................................................................................and to Asian Immigrants
1924 - Johnson Reed Act (Quota system on immigration)..............................................................................................................and to all Immigrants
1930 - Lynching in South for African Americans ensues................................................................................................................Hatred against "Other" races ensues
1942 - Executive Order 9066 (Japanese Internment)......................................................................................................................Japanese Immigrants dehumanized
1997 - Runnymede Trust Report...............................................................................................................................................................The Term "Islamophobia" is coined
2001 - 9/11 Terrorism on World Trade Center...................................................................................................................................Hatred against Muslim reaches its peak
2001 - US Patriot Act (Stress of anti-terrorism post-9/11)...........................................................................................................US Patriotism solidifies
“I am not saying that Muslims have not attacked and injured Israelis and Westerners in the name of Islam.
But I am saying that much of what one reads and sees in the media about Islam represents the aggression
as coming from Islam because that is what ‘Islam’ is. Local and concrete circumstances are thus obliterated.
In other words, covering Islam is a one-sided activity that obscures what ‘we’ do, and highlights instead what
Muslims and Arabs by their very flawed nature are.”
- Edward Said
But I am saying that much of what one reads and sees in the media about Islam represents the aggression
as coming from Islam because that is what ‘Islam’ is. Local and concrete circumstances are thus obliterated.
In other words, covering Islam is a one-sided activity that obscures what ‘we’ do, and highlights instead what
Muslims and Arabs by their very flawed nature are.”
- Edward Said
Conclusion
Overall, Islamophobia is the product of the European's imperial colonialism of the New World that “otherized” all other races,
and the 9/11 Terrorism in 2001, which aggravated Muslim sentiment and further otherized Muslims in America. With the western world-system mindset, many Americans now tend to equate all aggressions from Muslims as "what Islam is" - a one sided bias that portrays Muslims and Arabs as flawed, inferior, or dangerous humans.
and the 9/11 Terrorism in 2001, which aggravated Muslim sentiment and further otherized Muslims in America. With the western world-system mindset, many Americans now tend to equate all aggressions from Muslims as "what Islam is" - a one sided bias that portrays Muslims and Arabs as flawed, inferior, or dangerous humans.