Homegrown terrorism hysteria enabled far-right Islamophobes to seize the national debate.

Evidence

The immediate consequence of the “homegrown terrorist” hysteria was that the far-right-wing Islamophobes (more on them in the following chapter) who had long hoped to capture the national debate were able to do so. They took center stage in the wake of a controversy they generated around the construction of an Islamic community center in downtown Manhattan. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 511

Categorization

• XREF: Direct causal chain: manufactured fear about ‘homegrown terror’ created space for Geller and the mosque controversy — exactly the psyche-to-politics line the reader is tracing. — connects to: A well-funded network of professional Islamophobes drives anti-Muslim activism in America — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 446; The media’s attraction materially amplifies professional Islamophobes’ reach — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 493; Among American Muslims who said it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the U.S. in recent years, the second most-answered reason for this was ‘negative media portrayals.’ In addition, 53% of Americans think that coverage of Islam and Muslims by American news organizations is generally unfair to Muslims and Islam. However, it is not just the media that is guilty of this tainted image of jihad. Islamophobes also have a hand in the way jihad is portrayed to the American public. Prominent Islamophobes like Pamela Gellar, Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes, Steven Emerson, and Frank Gaffney, as well as others, portray jihad as Muslims’ attempt to force non-Muslims to convert to Islam and eradicate those who refuse. They establish non-governmental organizations and carry out campaigns dedicated to the portrayal of Islam as a violent religion and use their own interpretation of jihad as proof. (+14 more)

Broader Connections

• Anti-Muslim fear-mongering empowered by right-wing foundations fuels mainstream hatred. #corroborates (0.80) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 626
• Right-wing Islamophobes are structurally embedded rather than marginal figures #corroborates (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 34
• Right-wing Islamophobes are inside the establishment, not fringe infiltrators #corroborates (0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 536
• European Islamophobia has moved from the far right into the political mainstream. #expands (0.60) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 480
• The War on Terror legitimizes expanded police repression at home #expands (0.55)
• State-perpetuated fear racializes Muslim bodies as terrorist enemies #expands (0.50)
• Elites mobilized Islamophobia to advance their political agendas across centuries #expands (0.40) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 98