Islamophobia operates as ambient background noise masking concrete injustices

Evidence

If we persist in portraying Islamophobia as an irrational force of misperception—the bad citizen’s response to the bad Muslim—we will render ourselves oblivious to Islamophobia’s ultimate causes, which are not simply ignorance or xenophobia. Pastor Terry Jones is rightly criticized for both, but he has never invaded and occupied an independent (Muslim-majority) nation-state, authorized the torture of (Muslim) alien combatants held in secret prisons, killed hundreds of innocent (Muslim) people in unmanned drone attacks, propped up (Muslim) dictators against the will of their (Muslim) subjects, and given orders to detain, deport, and assassinate (Muslim) terror suspects without trial. — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 706 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Islamophobia is systemic and institutionalized, not merely individual prejudice — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 641; Environmental framing made Muslim violence seem causally inevitable; Islamophobia functions as a screen hiding Western geopolitical responsibility — Peter Morey, Islamophobia and the Novel, 513 (+18 more)

Related

• Islamophobia has material and political causes beyond ignorance or xenophobia (similarity 0.91)
• Islamophobia is a largely unwarranted social anxiety about Islam and Muslims (similarity 0.90)
• Islamophobia is powered by the overlap of Muslims being both inside and outside (similarity 0.89)
• Capital instrumentalizes Islamophobia rather than being driven by it (similarity 0.89)
• Islamophobia is driven by state violence rather than mere ignorance (similarity 0.87)
• Islamophobia stems from nationalism’s ambiguities rather than fear of Islam (similarity 0.85)
• Islamophobia includes a latent assumption of Muslim cultural inferiority to the secular West. (similarity 0.84)
• Islamophobia is increasingly theorized as a form of racism rather than mere religious prejudice (similarity 0.84)
• Islamophobia functions as a screen hiding Western geopolitical responsibility (similarity 0.83)
• Islamophobia predates organized networks and serves structural functions across the political spectrum (similarity 0.83)
• Islamophobia arises from multiple forces, not a single conspiracy. (similarity 0.83)
• Islamophobia is an ideological construct with real consequences, not mere discourse (similarity 0.82)
• Islamophobia is systemic and institutionalized, not merely individual prejudice (similarity 0.82)
• Islamophobia’s salience stems from state control efforts, not just culture. (similarity 0.82)
• Islamophobia’s material impact exceeds its life as circulating discourse. (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Islamophobia has material and political causes beyond ignorance or xenophobia #expands (0.30) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 706