Liberal anti-clash rhetoric remains imperial racism assuming US stewardship of Muslim societies

Evidence

The Obama era therefore came to be characterized by a shift to liberal imperialism and liberal Islamophobia. The key characteristics of liberal Islamophobia in the Obama era were the rejection of the “clash of civilizations” thesis, the elevation of “good Muslims” both domestically and internationally, and a concomitant willingness to work with “moderate” (or pro-American) Islamists. While Orientalists like Lewis and his neocon associates view the culture of Islam as backward and as instrumental in fomenting political violence, liberals differentiate between the mass of Muslims and “extremists.” They view the latter as driven by a totalitarian ideology. Liberal Islamophobia may be rhetorically gentler than conservative Islamophobia, but it is nonetheless imperial racism in that it takes for granted the “white man’s burden.” It doesn’t occur to the likes of Nye, Albright, and Haass that it is for ordinary people in the Middle East and Central/South Asia to make decisions about their societies. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 512

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines liberal Islamophobia’s distinguishing markers against conservative Orientalist racism while insisting both share the same imperial core.
• XREF: Connects to ch5 highlights establishing that good/bad Muslim labels track support for US empire, and to liberal Islamophobia including Muslims only on imperial terms. — connects to: Diversity rhetoric leaves empire-directed structural anti-Muslim racism untouched — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 44; Liberal Muslim-American leaders were co-opted into rebranding imperial policy — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 496; Liberal-reformist Islamophobia remains imperial racism cloaked in benevolence — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 500 (+9 more)
• QUESTION: Central to the reader’s comparative test: if liberal imperialism’s racism lies in presumed stewardship rather than overt hierarchy, does the same hold in European states whose Islamophobia tracks colonial rather than US-imperial circuits?

Broader Connections

• Liberal Islamophobia rejects clash rhetoric yet retains imperial paternalism toward Muslims #corroborates (0.90) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 512
• Liberal Islamophobia is racist and imperialist despite its gentler rhetoric #corroborates (0.82) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 430
• Liberal rhetoric can mask imperial racism as benevolence #expands (0.80)
• Anti-Muslim racism remains entrenched despite Muslim inclusion in imperial systems #corroborates (0.75)
• Both conservative and liberal approaches to Islamism rest on cultural racism #qualifies (0.72)
• Far-right and liberal anti-Muslim racism are dialectically coupled, not separate phenomena #expands (0.72)
• Liberal defenses of Muslims framed Islamophobia as intolerance, not empire-linked racism #expands (0.70)
• Liberal Islamophobia and right-wing racism are interchangeable imperial instruments #expands (0.70) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 544