Islamophobia works through structural incentives and preexisting prejudice, not organized networks alone

Evidence

It is hard to say whether the organized networks of Islamophobia have in fact had the chief responsibility for pushing American opinion against Islam. There are clearly sectors of American culture that are predisposed to be hostile to Islam in any case. While it is true that conservative and evangelical circles typically hold anti-Islamic attitudes, as Juliane Hammer points out in her essay, there are also plenty of liberals who are quick to denounce the alleged sins and shortcomings of Muslims. Furthermore, as Kambiz GhaneaBassiri observes, news media and elected officials benefit from the fear of Muslim terrorism with enhanced revenue or political power. So, in effect, Islamophobia fits into certain structural aspects of the way American society deals with recent minorities during times of crisis. Anti-Islamic rhetoric draws upon the repertoire of religious bigotry as well as traditional American racism, but it is given a particular spice by the element of gender and stereotypes about oppressed Muslim women. Ultimately, as Andrew Shryock concludes, this kind of prejudice is a distortion and a distraction from the real issues that confront America. — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 35

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s guiding question comparing chapters — GhaneaBassiri’s claim that fear yields political/economic benefit echoes the function-of-fear theme and Beydoun’s structural framing. — connects to: Islamophobia networks are structurally integral to US empire — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 89; Islamophobia is produced by an interconnected network of institutional spheres, not isolated actors; A terror industrial complex produces Islamophobia through interlocking institutions — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 736 (+2 more)
• SEED: Angle: how the Islamophobia ‘industry’ is downstream of ordinary self-interest and preexisting minority scapegoating repertoires, rather than the originating cause — a corrective to conspiracy framings.