Anti-Muslim sentiment spikes during presidential elections, not after terrorist attacks

Evidence

Despite the wishes of the extremists, it may come as a surprise that anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States spikes not when there is a major terrorist attack but instead under more routine—and predictable—circumstances. The statistician Dalia Mogahed has closely examined the data since 2001, and she found that public opinion concerning Muslims didn’t fall precipitously after the 9/11 attacks, didn’t dip after the Boston bombing, and didn’t plummet after the Orlando shooting. Public sentiment has hardened against Muslims, however, at regular and identifiable moments, namely every four years, when our country is embroiled in a presidential election. What this means is that Islamophobia in the United States is not merely a matter of personal opinion or private bias but has become a political phenomenon to be exploited by our politicians. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 1005 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

These instances from Britain and France reinforce the view that anti-Muslim hate crimes spike whenever there are highly publicized episodes casting Muslims in a negative light. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 597 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Anti-Muslim hate incidents persisted and even intensified during the Obama presidency; Islamophobia spikes during presidential elections, not after terrorist attacks. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 1005; Anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric directly boosted a 2016 presidential candidate’s poll numbers (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Islamophobia spikes during presidential elections, not after terrorist attacks. #corroborates (1.00) — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 1005
• Publicized negative episodes reliably spike anti-Muslim violence #complicates (0.78) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 597