Iran’s 1979 events made Islamism the coming Green Menace for the US.

Evidence

As a result of the revolution and the hostage crisis, political Islam increasingly became the object of great suspicion if not outright hostility in US political circles. Islamism was becoming the enemy, the “Green Menace” (because green is the color symbolizing Islam) that would eventually replace the Soviet threat. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 254

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ‘Green Menace’ meme and its origin in green as the color of Islam.
• XREF: connects to: The 1979 Iranian revolution and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan triggered the Middle East buildup; Iran’s 1979 revolution redirected US fear from secular nationalism to Islamism — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 246; The 1979 Iran hostage crisis made Khomeini the embodiment of Islamic evil to Americans. — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 248 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Iran’s 1979 revolution redirected US fear from secular nationalism to Islamism #expands (0.85) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 246
• American media conflated Iranians, Arabs, Sunnis, and Shiites into one Muslim menace. #expands (0.70) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 254
• The 1979 Iran hostage crisis made Khomeini the embodiment of Islamic evil to Americans. #exemplifies (0.60) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 248
• US hostility to Islamism depended on whether it served US interests #qualifies (0.55) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 233