Unresolved Muslim grievances enable justifications for U.S. power abuse under multiculturalism’s banner.

Evidence

So long as Muslim grievances resulting from U.S. foreign policies go unrecognized; so long as the solution to terrorism perpetrated by Muslim extremists is explained away through a simplified depiction of religion and culture and resolved through war; so long as discourses and representations produce a mirage of harmonious multiculturalism; and so long as U.S. imperial power is prioritized over the value of human life, a solution to these serious concerns will remain out of reach. What will not remain out of reach, however, are justifications for the United States to abuse its power and deny human rights to Arabs and Muslims under the banner of multiculturalism. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1420

Categorization

• SEED: An essay angle: ‘multiculturalism as alibi’ — how pro-diversity discourse can itself legitimize rights denial, a perverse use of inclusion rhetoric.
• DEEPTHINKING: The paradox that multiculturalist rhetoric can be weaponized to justify denying rights to a specific group is dense, nuanced, and resists a one-sentence summary.