The mosque debate ran on collective Muslim blame across both racist and liberal framings.

Evidence

The Ground Zero Mosque controversy demonstrated this dynamic at work. In the context of a Far Right attack using language that harks back to the Crusades, the best arguments from the political class were weak defenses of religious freedom. Instead of taking a principled anti-racist position that states that Muslims are no more to blame for the events of 9/11 than Christians are for the violence of Christian fundamentalists, the liberal establishment chose to question the location of the proposed Islamic center. While less blatant than the rabid Islamophobes who were accusing Muslims of “triumphalism,” such an argument tacitly endorsed collective blame on all Muslims for the attacks on the Twin Towers. Obama further chose to counter the Far Right, raising the specter of suicide bombing, thereby justifying his own security measures. Such “indirect securitization,” however, also essentializes and homogenizes Muslims. Liberal racism of this sort then feeds right-wing conspiracy theories. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 721 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Liberal responses to the Ground Zero Mosque controversy tacitly endorsed collective Muslim blame — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 721; Racist and liberal framings can converge by homogenizing guilt onto an entire group

Broader Connections

• Liberal responses to the Ground Zero Mosque controversy tacitly endorsed collective Muslim blame #exemplifies (0.95) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 721
• Racist and liberal framings can converge by homogenizing guilt onto an entire group #expands (0.90)