Islamophobia as cultural racism? Martin Amis and the racialization of Muslims

Meer, Nasar and Modood, Tariq (2009) Islamophobia as cultural racism? Martin Amis and the racialization of Muslims. In, Sayyid, S. and Vali, Abdoolkarim (eds.) Thinking Through Islamophobia. London, UK. C. Hurst. (In Press)

Abstract

Since Al Qaeda's attacks on America in 2001, 'Islamophobia' has quickly entered common parlance. 'Islamophobia' is also a contested concept - its very meaning and implications varying widely depending where on the political, religious and intellectual spectrum one stands. Given this, there is much confusion as to what kind of experiences (if any) may be understood through the lens of 'Islamophobia'. Are the various security measures enacted in the wake of the 'war on terror' Islamophobic? Can the American gulag be seen as an institutionalisation of Islamophobia? Are attacks on Muslims in Western democracies to be analysed as manifestations of Islamophobia? International in scope, "Thinking Through Islamophobia" considers attitudes towards Islam and Muslims in Russia, investigates the concept in Western democracies, and rigorously analyses the many meanings of 'Islamophobia'. The contributors map out the concept in terms of its relationship to practices such as racism and anti-Semitism, but also contend that 'Islamophobia' has to be taken seriously, and ought not be dismissed as a polemical term behind which reactionary Muslim and 'extremist' Muslims can take shelter. The book also analyses the complex but under-examined ways in which the rights of Muslims are being contested in various parts of the world. In conclusion the contributors reveal the possibility of a rigorous conceptualialization which may allow 'Islamophobia' to be seen as a serious phenomenon, one that cannot be dismissed because of the polemical nature of the public and intellectual debates that threatens to consume it.

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