Liberal pundits combined progressive values with vehement anti-Muslim views.

Evidence

There is another element of Islamophobia that has received surprisingly little attention, and that is gender. Juliane Hammer argues that Muslim women are on the center stage of the construction of Islamophobia and the images of terrorism. Like GhaneaBassiri, she sees Islamophobia as a complex phenomenon that cannot be reduced to the conspiracies of anti-Muslim ideologues. But she widens the field of associations to include domestic politics, imperial wars, feminist negotiations, and “Western” claims of superiority—and it includes the polite Islamophobia of liberals as well as conservatives. — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 48 (#expands, via linked claim)

Adhering to the precepts of liberal Islamophobia, the report goes on to state that “we must counter al-Qa’ida’s propaganda that the United States is somehow at war with Islam” and instead affirm that “Islam is part of America, a country that cherishes the active participation of all its citizens, regardless of background and belief. We live what al-Qa’ida violently rejects—religious freedom and pluralism.” Obama added that “our rich diversity of backgrounds and faiths makes us stronger.” This is the modus operandi of liberal Islamophobia: to roundly reject Islam-bashing—and then proceed to institute proposals that target Muslims. When representative Peter King held his McCarthy-style hearings in March 2011 to determine the extent of Muslim radicalization in the United States, he was rightly criticized by liberals. However, that August, when Obama institutionalized this process through his “counter-radicalization” strategy, there was nary a peep of protest. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 583 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Anti-Muslim discourse passed from aging Orientalists to liberal podcast stars.; Domestic anti-Muslim campaigns needed liberal commentary to reach the mainstream — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 497; Anti-Muslim sentiment spans opposing political groups, not just white conservatives (+8 more)

Related

• Anti-Muslim discourse passed from aging Orientalists to liberal podcast stars. (similarity 0.89)
• Progressive media also contain liberal Islamophobia despite hosting dissenting voices (similarity 0.88)
• Domestic anti-Muslim campaigns needed liberal commentary to reach the mainstream (similarity 0.87)
• Islamophobia includes polite liberal variants, not only conservative conspiracy theories (similarity 0.87)
• Liberal Islamophobia rejects Islam-bashing while enacting policies that target Muslims (similarity 0.86)
• Islamophobia spans liberal and conservative mainstreams, not just the fringe right (similarity 0.85)
• Liberal opposition to Islamophobia masks complicity in state targeting of Muslims. (similarity 0.83)
• Liberal rejection of open Islamophobia masks the same racializing policies (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal Islamophobia rejects clash rhetoric yet retains imperial paternalism toward Muslims (similarity 0.82)
• Islamophobia flourishes on both the nativist right and among self-proclaimed liberals (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal and conservative Islamophobia jointly enable far-right conspiracy theories (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal Islamophobia condemns Islam-bashing while championing programs that target Muslims (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal Islamophobia under Obama worsened conditions for Muslims at home and abroad (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal Islamophobia rejects blatant rhetoric while instituting the same Muslim racialization policies (similarity 0.82)
• Liberal defenses of Muslims framed Islamophobia as intolerance, not empire-linked racism (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Islamophobia includes polite liberal variants, not only conservative conspiracy theories #expands (0.80) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 48
• Liberal Islamophobia rejects Islam-bashing while enacting policies that target Muslims #expands (0.70) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 583
• Anti-Muslim sentiment spans opposing political groups, not just white conservatives #expands (0.65)
• Even distinguished literary novelists voice crude anti-Muslim prejudice #exemplifies (0.65)
• Anti-Muslim sentiment operates independently of local political ideology #expands (0.60)
• Secularists and Christians alike deployed Muslims as foils #corroborates (0.50)
• Gendered Islamophobia intersects feminist, antiracist, and neoconservative agendas simultaneously. #corroborates (0.50)
• Domestic anti-Muslim campaigns needed liberal commentary to reach the mainstream #responds-to (0.40) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 497
• Anti-Muslim prejudice was deliberately deployed by elites at specific political moments. #complicates (0.35) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 25