Anti-Muslim racism is structurally rooted in empire, not individual prejudice
Evidence
Moreover, while racism is experienced at the individual level, to limit our understanding of anti-Muslim racism to hate crimes and/or micro-aggressions, daily acts of humiliation, or exclusion from social life is to miss its structural roots. … Moreover, if Islamophobia is understood primarily as prejudice, exclusion, or discrimination, then the remedy is to bring Muslims into the mainstream and to educate against prejudice. These are worthwhile goals, but I argue that they are insufficient. As we will see, liberal Islamophobia is happy to designate Muslims as “good” if they consent to the war on terror and aid empire. Such a politics of inclusion does little to dismantle the fundamental source of anti-Muslim racism—empire. The central argument of this book is that anti-Muslim racism is best understood, in its myriad and ever-changing manifestations, as rooted in empire. Thus, Muslim inclusion within an imperial system that presides over war, genocide, and torture does little to dent racism. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 78
Categorization
- XREF: Directly parallels Razack’s ‘casting out’ thesis and Rana’s imperial war-on-terror framing already in the vault; the closing move on ‘good Muslims’ mapping to Mamdani’s good-Muslim/bad-Muslim distinction. — connects to: Diversity rhetoric leaves empire-directed structural anti-Muslim racism untouched — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 44; Anti-Muslim oppression constitutes structural racism, not mere religious intolerance — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 91; Empire is a contingent process that reproduces itself through shifting racism. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 93 (+18 more)
Broader Connections
- Anti-Muslim racism is rooted in empire, not relieved by inclusion.
#corroborates(0.95) — Khaled A. Beydoun, The New Crusades_ Islamophobia and the…, 1243 - Anti-Muslim racism is structural to empire rather than a fringe phenomenon.
#corroborates(0.95) - Empire produces anti-Muslim racism which in turn sustains empire
#expands(0.92) - Anti-Muslim racism remains entrenched despite Muslim inclusion in imperial systems
#expands(0.90) - Anti-Muslim racism is a persistent product of empire, not event-driven.
#corroborates(0.88) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 93 - Anti-Muslim racism is a normal tool of empire, not crisis response
#expands(0.85) - Muslim inclusion within empire does not dent racism, so anti-prejudice remedies fail
#expands(0.85) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 90 - US empire-building abroad drives anti-Muslim racism domestically
#exemplifies(0.80) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 1072 - Anti-Muslim racism operates as a logic of white supremacy, not mere prejudice
#expands(0.78) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 1054 - Anti-Muslim racism operates through a distinct racial logic
#expands(0.75) — Junaid Rana, Terrifying Muslims, 77