Anglo-American discourse framed Islam as Christianity’s inherent and inexorable nemesis.
Evidence
Reflecting on the overall expansion of Islam, the American missionary Samuel M. Zwemer, a recognized authority who published repeatedly on Islam, declared of “the Moslem Peril,” “It is now or never; it is Islam or Christ!” 58 Zwelmer’s sentiment signals the last quality of Islamophobia that featured prominently in Anglo-American discourse: Islam as Christianity’s inherent and inexorable nemesis. — Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg, Common Heritage, Uncommon Fear, 95
Categorization
- DEFINE: Identifies one specific ‘quality’ or component of Islamophobia in this era: Islam positioned as Christianity’s permanent antagonist.
- XREF: connects to: Anglo-American observers explained Muslim expansion as caused by inherent religious fanaticism. — Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg, Common Heritage, Uncommon Fear:…, 85; Both Americans and Britons held Islam a perennial menace by its proselytizing and violence; Islam threatened Christianity because it mounted a rival revelatory claim — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 64 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- Although Britons in India differed from Americans because of the active (if exaggerated) threat to their political order, both shared a conviction regarding two alleged qualities of Islam that…
#corroborates(0.90) - Both Americans and Britons held Islam a perennial menace by its proselytizing and violence
#corroborates(0.85) - Islam threatened Christianity because it mounted a rival revelatory claim
#expands(0.60) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 64 - Mass Christian conversion to Islam forced Christians to view Muslims as religious rivals
#expands(0.60) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 124 - Anti-Muslim rhetoric served to police the doctrinal boundary of true Christianity.
#expands(0.50) — Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg, Common Heritage, Uncommon Fear, 96