Sustained protest can push political elites to disavow anti-Muslim provocations

Evidence

Both the news media and the political elite seem to thrive on the fear of Muslim violence. Journalists routinely refer to religion as the basis of terrorism, and their lack of incentive to explain complex issues often ends up reinforcing existing prejudices. Politicians of all stripes have been quick to meet fears of violence by expanding state power, which is rarely curtailed. — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 41 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Politicians and aspiring politicians alike—from Andy Martin and Orly Taitz (leader of the “birther” movement) to Donald Trump—accused Obama before and after his election of not being a U.S. citizen, questioning his place of birth, highlighting that his father is from Kenya, and claiming that he is not a “real” American. Though nearly a decade after 9/11, the flames of fear and suspicion are easily stoked. With the slander that prominent public servants voice—with great pride—is it any surprise that hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims continue? In August 2010 a passenger stabbed a New York City cab driver after confirming that he was Muslim. A few months later, slices of bacon arranged spelling “pig chump,” were left on the tile walkway to a mosque. In March 2011 a Muslim woman wearing a hijab was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight because the stewardess deemed her suspicious. And in May 2011 two Muslim clerics traveling to North Carolina for a conference on Islamophobia were escorted off an Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight in Tennessee after the pilot expressed discomfort at their presence. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1370 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Each time candidates and elected officials peddle such propaganda, anti- Muslim racism is legitimized among their constituents. Thus it should come as no surprise that in 2015, a Pew Research Center survey found that 46 percent of Americans believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence, and 49 percent report they are “very concerned” about the rise of Islamic extremism in the United States. — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 827 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Mass Muslim-led labor strikes forced courts to block the ban.; Mass protest can move US majorities toward anti-racist structural politics.; Grassroots progressive protest can pressure politicians to disavow Islamophobic acts — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 758 (+9 more)

Broader Connections

• Media and political elites profit from stoking anti-Muslim fears #complicates (0.82) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 41
• Political leaders’ anti-Muslim slander correlates with a wave of everyday anti-Muslim incidents #complicates (0.80) — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1370
• Elite political rhetoric legitimizes anti-Muslim racism among constituents #complicates (0.78) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 827