Islamophobia is best understood by what it does rather than by defining its boundaries

Evidence

It is, however, to caution against what Meer (2015b) refers to as ‘making a fetish out of words’ and to consider the dangers of focusing too much on the borders of what Islamophobia is rather than what it does – as a form of, and alibi for, contemporary ‘race-making’ (Meer 2015b). Racism has always proven itself to be a multifaceted and malleable force of discrimination, as a form both of categorization and of persecution – what John Solomos and Les Back have termed a ‘scavenger ideology’ (1996). Contemporary Islamophobia builds on, feeds off, transforms and adds to a store of racial, ethnic and religious stereotypes – a ragbag of racist ideas, policies and practices selected according to convenience and wielded against a particularly (if not uniquely) visible and vulnerable community. Nevertheless, it is crucial that we recognize that Islamophobia is not simply ‘a Muslim problem’, that it implicates and affects everyone, and that, importantly, we must build alliances across other minoritized and discriminated people and groups, and all people of good will, to stand against racism in all of its forms. — A. Hussain, N. Meer, Framing Muslim Integration, 178

Categorization

• XREF: This is a definitional stance directly in the contested-Islamophobia-definition debate central to the reading purpose — opposes Bleich’s neutral concept-formation and Meer’s race-making framing aligns with the critical-Muslim-studies camp. — connects to: Retaining the term Islamophobia centers hostility on Islam itself. — A. Hussain, N. Meer, Framing Muslim Integration, 615; Conceptualizing Islamophobia must separate its forms from the phenomenon itself — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 653; Islamophobia is best understood as context-dependent plural phenomena — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 199 (+19 more)
• QUESTION: The ‘scavenger ideology’ framing implies Islamophobia lacks an essence; worth pursuing how this sits against Bleich’s insistence on a stable, discriminating definition.

Related

• Islamophobia functions as an alibi for contemporary race-making (similarity 0.89)
• Islamophobia is best understood and countered as a form of anti-Muslim racism. (similarity 0.89)
• Islamophobia is best understood as an ideology akin to racism (similarity 0.88)
• Conceptualizing Islamophobia must separate its forms from the phenomenon itself (similarity 0.87)
• Islamophobia is best understood as context-dependent plural phenomena (similarity 0.87)
• Islamophobia is an ideology sustaining negative meaning about Muslims. (similarity 0.87)
• Efforts to define Islam are what define understanding of Islamophobia (similarity 0.87)
• Islamophobia is rarely analyzed through the lens of race and racism. (similarity 0.86)
• Islamophobia’s contestation stems from a failure to define or conceptualise it. (similarity 0.86)
• The term Islamophobia demands a better-grounded, contestable definition (similarity 0.86)
• A valid Islamophobia concept must avoid essentialising Muslims or Islam. (similarity 0.86)
• Islamophobia is an ideology, not a set of actions or practices (similarity 0.86)
• Denying Islamophobia as ideas-criticism enables anti-Muslim feeling disconnected from real Muslims. (similarity 0.85)
• Islamophobia requires an acknowledged Muslim or Islamic element to be identified. (similarity 0.85)
• Contested definitions of Islamophobia deepen the rift over its existence (similarity 0.85)

Broader Connections

• Conceptualizing Islamophobia must separate its forms from the phenomenon itself #expands (0.85) — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 653
• Islamophobia is the meaning disseminated about Muslims and Islam rather than any single act #expands (0.85) — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 818
• Islamophobia must be defined at the level of the signified phenomenon, not its signs #expands (0.82) — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 757
• The term Islamophobia demands a better-grounded, contestable definition #responds-to (0.80) — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 102
• Islamophobia is best understood as context-dependent plural phenomena #expands (0.78) — Chris Allen, Islamophobia, 199