LibGuides: Anti-Oppression LibGuide: Anti-Islamophobia

Terms

Islamophobia: Unfounded hostility towards Muslims, and therefore fear and dislikes for most Muslims. It's directed at a perceived or real Muslim threat through the maintenance and extension of existing disparities in economic, political, social, and cultural relations while rationalizing the necessity to deploy violence as a tool to achieve "civilization rehab" of the target communities. ( Source: Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at UC Berkley).

Microaggressions experienced by American Muslims an excerpt from Subtle and Overt Forms of Islamophobia: Microaggressions toward Muslim Americans by Kevin L, Nadal (Source: Simmons College Anti-Oppression Guide: http://simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression)

Endorsing Religious Stereotypes: statements or behaviors that communicate false, presumptuous, or incorrect perceptions of certain religious groups (e.g., stereotyping that a Muslim person is a terrorist or that a Jewish person is cheap).
Exoticization: instances where people view other religions as trendy or foreign (e.g., an individual who dresses in a certain religion’s garb or garments for fashion or pleasure).
Pathology of Different Religious Groups: Statements and behaviors in which individuals equate certain religious practices or traditions as being abnormal, sinful, or deviant (e.g., telling someone that they are in the “wrong” religion).
Assumption of One's Own Religious Identity as the Norm: Comments or behaviors that convey people’s presumption that their religion is the standard and behaves accordingly (e.g., greeting someone “Merry Christmas” or saying “God bless you” after someone sneezes conveys one’s perception that everyone is Christian or believes in God).
Assumption of Religious Homogeneity: Statements in which individuals assume that every believer of a religion practices the same customs or has the same beliefs as the entire group (e.g., assuming that all Muslim people wear head coverings).
Denial of Religious Prejudice: Incidents in which individuals claim that they are not religiously biased, even if their words or behaviors may indicate otherwise.

Books and other media

Behind the Backlash by Lori A. Peek
Call Number: E184 .M88 P44 2011-Wisser Library
ISBN: 9781592139828
Publication Date: 2010-11-26
Letting the voices of 140 ordinary Muslim American men and women describe their experiences, Lori Peek's path-breaking book, a"Behind the Backlash"apresents moving accounts of prejudice and exclusion. Muslims speak of being subjected to harassment before the attacks, and recount the discrimination they encountered afterwards. Peek also explains the struggles of young Muslim adults to solidify their community and define their identity during a time of national crisis.
Muslims and the Making of America by Amir Hussain
Call Number: BP .U6 h86 2016. Manhattan Library
ISBN: 9781481306225
Publication Date: 2016-10-15
"There has never been an America without Muslims"—so begins Amir Hussain, one of the most important scholars and teachers of Islam in America. Hussain, who is himself an American Muslim, contends that Muslims played an essential role in the creation and cultivation of the United States. Memories of 9/11 and the rise of global terrorism fuel concerns about American Muslims. The fear of American Muslims in part stems from the stereotype that all followers of Islam are violent extremists who want to overturn the American way of life. Inherent to this stereotype is the popular misconception

Syllabus:

#IslamophobiaIsRacism Syllabi: created by "The bridge initiative" Inspired by the #FergusonSyllabusFergusonSyllabus, the #StandingRockSyllabus, the #BlackIslamSyllabus and others, this reading list provides resources for teaching and learning about anti-Muslim racism in the United States.

Organizations:

The bridge initiative: Based in Georgetown University's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal center for Muslim-Christian understanding, the Bridge initiative is a multi-year research project that connects the academic study of islamophobia with the public square.

Let's start a conversation:

FYI

This guide attempts to provide general information and a starting point to learn about anti-oppression, inclusion, and privilege, as well as provide knowledge and resources to key social justice issues.